“I love breakfast for lunch. In fact anytime I have a big breakfast I try to have it at noon.” – Mike McEvoy
Located at 47th and The Ave. It’s a great little greek restaurant with lots of variety. Mike got breakfast for lunch. (It’s served all day) Mike is still unsure which part of his breakfast was greek, but it was delicious. Mike ordered the chicken fried steak covered in gravy, 3 eggs, hash browns, and toast. (Mike even liked the toast, which according to him is the saddest part of breakfast. He never told me why toast is the saddest part. Perhaps a tragic accident during his childhood? Nevertheless, I was too afraid to ask because I couldn't handle seeing Mike cry. It's like seeing Batman cry or something. It just shouldn't happen.)
Anyways, they had skillets too that were very good. It made IHOP look like crap. (And Mike loves IHOP.) The dining area is nice and big with lots of seating that helped promote a feel of privacy.
Mike even told his friend from out of town to go to Costas and he loved it. His friend said, and I quote, “Thank you for the Costas recommendation. Here’s $300 for how delicious it was." You be the judge.
Mike's Ave Review - 1 Costas - 1
Taste: 9
Value: 6
Intangibles: 6.5
Total Score: 21.5 out of 30
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Don Eduardo's [20]
"If ever you need a place for a feast of nations, Don Eduardo's is the place." - Mike McEvoy
Don Eduardo's is located on the east side of The Ave between 45th and 47th. It's the closest you'll get to a family restaurant on the ave. When you sit down they bring you chips and salsa FOR FREE. The downside of that is they keep brinigng chips and salsa at the same rate no matter how fast you eat them. You end up eating a lot of chips.
The problem with Don Eduardo's stems from this constant chip barrage. Mike has to order the grande meal at most places. He knows how to eat and he's good at it. So, Mike ordered a grande meal at Don's. But, by the time he got his food, he is super full from chips. He cannot finish the grande meal. Mike is realizing that he needs to order smaller dishes because he definitely won't eat any less chips. (They're free!)
The taste was good, but compared to other Mexican food places there was nothing that stuck out to Mike. The service was excellent though. Really great waiters. And they have palm trees. So Mexican/tropical.
Taste: 7
Value: 5.5
Intangibles: 7.5
Total Score: 20 out of 30
Don Eduardo's is located on the east side of The Ave between 45th and 47th. It's the closest you'll get to a family restaurant on the ave. When you sit down they bring you chips and salsa FOR FREE. The downside of that is they keep brinigng chips and salsa at the same rate no matter how fast you eat them. You end up eating a lot of chips.
The problem with Don Eduardo's stems from this constant chip barrage. Mike has to order the grande meal at most places. He knows how to eat and he's good at it. So, Mike ordered a grande meal at Don's. But, by the time he got his food, he is super full from chips. He cannot finish the grande meal. Mike is realizing that he needs to order smaller dishes because he definitely won't eat any less chips. (They're free!)
The taste was good, but compared to other Mexican food places there was nothing that stuck out to Mike. The service was excellent though. Really great waiters. And they have palm trees. So Mexican/tropical.
Taste: 7
Value: 5.5
Intangibles: 7.5
Total Score: 20 out of 30
Friday, November 14, 2008
Ichiro [19.5]
"I found a hidden gem on the ave yesterday. A little place I like to call Ichiro. From the outside, Ichiro has a Crack house meets a brothel feel. However, if you are willing to risk it, Fortune favors the bold. Even after being inside, walking by it freaks me out." - Mike McEvoy
They had friendly service and a wide assortment of Asian dishes. The specialty item was somehow the chicken teriyaki. (Not the most exotic specialty item, but good nonetheless.) Coming off of the UW campus it is a great place to go because it is down at 40th and The Ave.
On the inside it had a weird coffee shop feel. There were 5 or so people eating by themselves and reading. It made it weird to actually talk out loud. But, they did have NFL live on the TV and that is awesome. They also did a good job of having a big portion of salad on the side. (That does nothing for Mike, but it might for people who actually eat salad.)
Intangibles: 4.5
Taste: 7.5
Value: 7.5
Total Score: 19.5 out of 30
They had friendly service and a wide assortment of Asian dishes. The specialty item was somehow the chicken teriyaki. (Not the most exotic specialty item, but good nonetheless.) Coming off of the UW campus it is a great place to go because it is down at 40th and The Ave.
On the inside it had a weird coffee shop feel. There were 5 or so people eating by themselves and reading. It made it weird to actually talk out loud. But, they did have NFL live on the TV and that is awesome. They also did a good job of having a big portion of salad on the side. (That does nothing for Mike, but it might for people who actually eat salad.)
Intangibles: 4.5
Taste: 7.5
Value: 7.5
Total Score: 19.5 out of 30
Pho Than Brothers [18]
"Tyler said the medium was big enough. He didn't know me." - Mike McEvoy
"There's a reason I have little brown dots on my shirt right now. It's because I ate soup for a meal. That is why I don't eat spaghetti on first dates." - Mike McEvoy
Mike actually enjoyed his visit to this pho restaurant. The meal itself took a long time to eat. There was prep with plum and hot sauces, lime, basil, etc... In the end it took him 40 minutes to finish. (This seems like an eternity for the man who can eat a Qudoba burrito in 39 second.) He is, however, full. He felt like he was eating healthy, which doesn't please Mike at all. (His heart is happy, but his tummy is pissed.) Mike got the 3 beef pho. It's all different kinds of beef, but God only knows what they were. The beef freaked Mike out at first, but then hunger took over him and he ate the meat. However shiny it may have been.
Mike definitely had to eat with a jacket on. (See the Flowers review for explanation.) They didn't refill his water at all. The restaurant was just there, nothing special. What it did have going for it was that it was $10 total for 2 guys to eat there and there was a lot of flavor too.
Intangibles: 4
Taste: 7
Value: 7
Total Score: 18 out of 30
"There's a reason I have little brown dots on my shirt right now. It's because I ate soup for a meal. That is why I don't eat spaghetti on first dates." - Mike McEvoy
Mike actually enjoyed his visit to this pho restaurant. The meal itself took a long time to eat. There was prep with plum and hot sauces, lime, basil, etc... In the end it took him 40 minutes to finish. (This seems like an eternity for the man who can eat a Qudoba burrito in 39 second.) He is, however, full. He felt like he was eating healthy, which doesn't please Mike at all. (His heart is happy, but his tummy is pissed.) Mike got the 3 beef pho. It's all different kinds of beef, but God only knows what they were. The beef freaked Mike out at first, but then hunger took over him and he ate the meat. However shiny it may have been.
Mike definitely had to eat with a jacket on. (See the Flowers review for explanation.) They didn't refill his water at all. The restaurant was just there, nothing special. What it did have going for it was that it was $10 total for 2 guys to eat there and there was a lot of flavor too.
Intangibles: 4
Taste: 7
Value: 7
Total Score: 18 out of 30
Tokyo Garden [23]
"Have you ever been to Asia?" - Becky Riggers
"I've never been to real Asia but Tokyo Garden is what it feels like in my dreams." - Mike McEvoy
Down on 45 and The Ave is Tokyo Garden. Mike feels like he could eat at TG's 3 times a week consistently. It has a taste that doesn't get old. They know him there. You might have heard RUMORS about finding weird things in the food, but their just that: rumors. TG has lots of fun to offer. For example: If you need to use the bathroom, there is a fun, epic, maze that takes you to another level of the building, and when you finally make it the door doesn't shut all the way. So fun!
For his meal, Mike got the basic chicken teriyaki with extra rice. (The lunch special comes with gyoza and chicken for $5, but Mike goes for the dish with more chicken.) His meal was only $5.95 and he left full. The feel is definitely Asian which helps with the authenticity of the whole experience. It's been there for a while for a reason, it has quality food at a good price and it won't let you down.
Value: 8.5
Taste: 8
Intangibles: 6.5
Total Score: 23 out of 30
"I've never been to real Asia but Tokyo Garden is what it feels like in my dreams." - Mike McEvoy
Down on 45 and The Ave is Tokyo Garden. Mike feels like he could eat at TG's 3 times a week consistently. It has a taste that doesn't get old. They know him there. You might have heard RUMORS about finding weird things in the food, but their just that: rumors. TG has lots of fun to offer. For example: If you need to use the bathroom, there is a fun, epic, maze that takes you to another level of the building, and when you finally make it the door doesn't shut all the way. So fun!
For his meal, Mike got the basic chicken teriyaki with extra rice. (The lunch special comes with gyoza and chicken for $5, but Mike goes for the dish with more chicken.) His meal was only $5.95 and he left full. The feel is definitely Asian which helps with the authenticity of the whole experience. It's been there for a while for a reason, it has quality food at a good price and it won't let you down.
Value: 8.5
Taste: 8
Intangibles: 6.5
Total Score: 23 out of 30
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Aloha Kitchen [12]
"Maybe Aloha is Korean for something?" - Mike
"Yeah. It's Korean for crap." - Nolan
Next to Thai Tom's, Aloha Kitchen is a place you pass with no intention of ever going in. Mike made the mistake of actually going in. It is Korean food instead of Hawaiian food, which would make sense. They had pork belly which is kind off Hawaiian, but mostly not. There was one lady there. She took the role of waitress and chef. Mike got the Spicy Yaki Udon. Instead of chicken and stuff, it was noodles with random garden veggies on top.
For $6.99 it was not worth it. The noodles filled Mike up at the end, but not in a good way.
They did, however, have stainless steel cups for water that you had to get out of a fridge. So futuristic.
In the end, though, aloha in this case definitely means goodbye.
Taste:5
Intangibles:5
Value: 2
Total Score: 12 out of 30
"Yeah. It's Korean for crap." - Nolan
Next to Thai Tom's, Aloha Kitchen is a place you pass with no intention of ever going in. Mike made the mistake of actually going in. It is Korean food instead of Hawaiian food, which would make sense. They had pork belly which is kind off Hawaiian, but mostly not. There was one lady there. She took the role of waitress and chef. Mike got the Spicy Yaki Udon. Instead of chicken and stuff, it was noodles with random garden veggies on top.
For $6.99 it was not worth it. The noodles filled Mike up at the end, but not in a good way.
They did, however, have stainless steel cups for water that you had to get out of a fridge. So futuristic.
In the end, though, aloha in this case definitely means goodbye.
Taste:5
Intangibles:5
Value: 2
Total Score: 12 out of 30
Flowers [9.5]
"I was put on this earth for one reason...to eat meat." - Mike McEvoy
Down on 43rd and the Ave is Flowers, a little vegetarian or vegan restaurant. (Mike didn't know because he doesn't know the difference between vegetarian and vegan.)
Since Flowers doesn't have meat, they try to make up with weird flavored stuff with other equally weird flavored sauces. Mike had to decide between slimy noodles with weird sauce, fried cauliflower, and eggplant souffle. The only thing they had that Mike liked there was a crazy curry sauce over cubed cornbread and lots of pita bread.
They were trying to glorify being a vegetarian, and Mike likes nothing to do with that.
In the restaurant it was cold inside and Mike ate with his jacket on. (He didn't actually eat with his jacket on, it was just cold enough to warrant a jacket. So from now on "Ate with my jacket on" means that it was cold enough for a jacket, but no jacket was used.) Intangibles get a 4. Value gets a 3. Never in Mike's life has he been to an all you can eat joint and wanted to stop eating. In fact he only went up for seconds. Ridiculous. Taste...not good. 2.5.
Total Score: 9.5 out of 30
*Sidenote: upon further examination, they actually DO serve meat, just not in the buffet
Down on 43rd and the Ave is Flowers, a little vegetarian or vegan restaurant. (Mike didn't know because he doesn't know the difference between vegetarian and vegan.)
Since Flowers doesn't have meat, they try to make up with weird flavored stuff with other equally weird flavored sauces. Mike had to decide between slimy noodles with weird sauce, fried cauliflower, and eggplant souffle. The only thing they had that Mike liked there was a crazy curry sauce over cubed cornbread and lots of pita bread.
They were trying to glorify being a vegetarian, and Mike likes nothing to do with that.
In the restaurant it was cold inside and Mike ate with his jacket on. (He didn't actually eat with his jacket on, it was just cold enough to warrant a jacket. So from now on "Ate with my jacket on" means that it was cold enough for a jacket, but no jacket was used.) Intangibles get a 4. Value gets a 3. Never in Mike's life has he been to an all you can eat joint and wanted to stop eating. In fact he only went up for seconds. Ridiculous. Taste...not good. 2.5.
Total Score: 9.5 out of 30
*Sidenote: upon further examination, they actually DO serve meat, just not in the buffet
Friday, November 7, 2008
Mongolian Grill* [27]
"The Ave would not be The Ave without Mongolian Grill. I would not come into work if I didn't know Mongolian Grill was out there for me." - Mike McEvoy
In a different world it would be called "Mike's Grill". He would risk the credibility of his name on this restaurant. What more could you want? Any combo of meat, veggies, noodles, and sauce you want. You never leave there without leftovers (unless you're an idiot). Value is a 10*. The lunch special in only $6.99. If you play your cards right, you get 3 meals out of it. That's $2.50 a meal, folks.
The taste is an 8.5 form Mike. You can't go wrong with adding pineapples to any dish. So tropical.
The intangibles for Mongo is 8.5. Big bowls baby. Big bowls. They cook the food in front of you! It's like a poor man's Benihana.
If something tops Mongolian grill this year, Mike will shave his head.
Taste: 8.5
Value: 10
Intangibles: 8.5
Total Score: 27 out of 30
In a different world it would be called "Mike's Grill". He would risk the credibility of his name on this restaurant. What more could you want? Any combo of meat, veggies, noodles, and sauce you want. You never leave there without leftovers (unless you're an idiot). Value is a 10*. The lunch special in only $6.99. If you play your cards right, you get 3 meals out of it. That's $2.50 a meal, folks.
The taste is an 8.5 form Mike. You can't go wrong with adding pineapples to any dish. So tropical.
The intangibles for Mongo is 8.5. Big bowls baby. Big bowls. They cook the food in front of you! It's like a poor man's Benihana.
If something tops Mongolian grill this year, Mike will shave his head.
Taste: 8.5
Value: 10
Intangibles: 8.5
Total Score: 27 out of 30
Schultzy's Sausage [21.5]
"If you ate schulty's everyday, you would live to the ripe old age of 28." - Mike McEvoy
Between 40th and 42th on the Ave lives Schultzy's. It's a great place to go on a friday afternoon when you've got nothing going on. (It is not the perfect place to go before an afternoon of basketball, so beware.) It sits heavy on the stomach and is thick on the sat fats, but it is severely delicious.
Mike had the sausage burger (press the sausage into a patty) grilled onions and peppers. The brat with sauerkraut was also delicious.
After tax and tip it was $10 a person. The upside to that was that there were a lot of fries and Mike was full at the end of the meal. You know Mike loves something thick, when it comes to food.
Taste: 9
Value: 6
Intangibles: 6.5
Total Score: 21.5 out of 30
Between 40th and 42th on the Ave lives Schultzy's. It's a great place to go on a friday afternoon when you've got nothing going on. (It is not the perfect place to go before an afternoon of basketball, so beware.) It sits heavy on the stomach and is thick on the sat fats, but it is severely delicious.
Mike had the sausage burger (press the sausage into a patty) grilled onions and peppers. The brat with sauerkraut was also delicious.
After tax and tip it was $10 a person. The upside to that was that there were a lot of fries and Mike was full at the end of the meal. You know Mike loves something thick, when it comes to food.
Taste: 9
Value: 6
Intangibles: 6.5
Total Score: 21.5 out of 30
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Mandarin Chef [15.5]
Jordan Collier: “How is the Mongolian chicken?”
Person Taking Order: “It’s a lot like the Mongolian beef…but chicken”
Mike had 2 overarching points about Mandarin Chef:
1) “I’m thankful I went to Mongolian BBQ the day before, because I had leftovers at home.”
2) “I was not aware that the whole menu was actually a kids menu.”
In a disappointed and pissed-off tone, Mike relayed his eating experience to me. He had little good to speak of. Mike liked the fact that he and his eating partner Jordan were the only ones in there. They also liked the mirrors. That’s it.
Now for everything else:
The guys sat down in the empty dining area, carousing the menu for a delicious meal to partake in. (At this point the guys are unaware that the meal portions are barely able to sustain even the smallest life form.) In a break of precedence, the cook came out from the back to take their order. Mike placed his order and Jordan’s was taken right after, by the chef. Then out of nowhere, someone comes and pushes the chef away from the table in a blur of color and confusion. The chef retreated to his home in the back, and a lady took his spot besides the table. As if the chef never existed, the lady goes ahead and asks both guys for their order…again. Both of them looked at each other and then to the new person beside them, and repeated the order they just placed. Weird.
Food tasted fine but there were way too many water chestnuts and not enough chicken. Also, the portions were way, WAY too small. Mike said, “Someone could have told me I didn’t just eat lunch and I would have believed them.”
Taste: 7
Value: 2.5
Intangibles: 6 (because he liked how the lady pushed the chef out of the way)
Total Score: 15.5 out of 30
Person Taking Order: “It’s a lot like the Mongolian beef…but chicken”
Mike had 2 overarching points about Mandarin Chef:
1) “I’m thankful I went to Mongolian BBQ the day before, because I had leftovers at home.”
2) “I was not aware that the whole menu was actually a kids menu.”
In a disappointed and pissed-off tone, Mike relayed his eating experience to me. He had little good to speak of. Mike liked the fact that he and his eating partner Jordan were the only ones in there. They also liked the mirrors. That’s it.
Now for everything else:
The guys sat down in the empty dining area, carousing the menu for a delicious meal to partake in. (At this point the guys are unaware that the meal portions are barely able to sustain even the smallest life form.) In a break of precedence, the cook came out from the back to take their order. Mike placed his order and Jordan’s was taken right after, by the chef. Then out of nowhere, someone comes and pushes the chef away from the table in a blur of color and confusion. The chef retreated to his home in the back, and a lady took his spot besides the table. As if the chef never existed, the lady goes ahead and asks both guys for their order…again. Both of them looked at each other and then to the new person beside them, and repeated the order they just placed. Weird.
Food tasted fine but there were way too many water chestnuts and not enough chicken. Also, the portions were way, WAY too small. Mike said, “Someone could have told me I didn’t just eat lunch and I would have believed them.”
Taste: 7
Value: 2.5
Intangibles: 6 (because he liked how the lady pushed the chef out of the way)
Total Score: 15.5 out of 30
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