***** (5 stars)
Excellent local ice cream maker with a great assortment of ice cream and sorbet flavors. There are several choices for cones and cups, or you can have a unicorn sundae, which is served in a cup with a cone (and some magic) on top. They also make floats with sodas or coffee. The line can go out the door, but moves right along.
Cream Bean Berry
1021 Main Ave
Durango, CO
81301
(970) 903-1300
https://www.yelp.com/biz/cream-bean-berry-durango
***** (5 stars)
Cozy little coffee shop with fresh pastries, a full range of espresso based drinks, plus cold brew.
Cowboy Coffee
125 N Cache St
Jackson, WY
83001
(307) 733-7392
https://www.yelp.com/biz/cowboy-coffee-jackson-2
**** (4 stars)
Considering the sandwiches here are prepackaged, they are surprisingly good, well-being stuffed with fresh ingredients. There also an assortment of to-go snacks and ice cream to enjoy while you wait for the geyser.
Old Faithful Inn Bear Paw Deli
1001 Old Faithful Rd
Yellowstone National Park, WY
82190
https://www.yelp.com/biz/old-faithful-inn-bear-paw-deli-yellowstone-national-park
***** (5 stars)
Wow! Great bahn mi sandwiches! The key is fresh bread, and this place is baking their own, so it’s super fresh and perfectly crusty.
The roasted pork is very savory, and the veggies crisp and bursting with flavor. I also liked that they offered to pack the veggies separate from the sandwich for to-go orders, to keep everything fresh.
Best banh mi I’ve had ever!
Bánh Mi Cali
5210 W Colonial DrSte 154
Orlando, FL
32808
(407) 866-0208
https://www.yelp.com/biz/b%C3%A1nh-mi-cali-orlando-2
Menu
Exterior
Torta Al pastor
Chicken burrito
***** (5 stars)
This is a great place for real Mexican street food. I had the chicken burrito special which came with a drink for under 7 bucks. It was a huge tasty burrito; it came with peppers, lime wedges and two salsas, red and green, which both had a kick.
Even better was the Torta al Pastor, a giant sandwich filled with savory pork, peppers, and tomato. One of the best tortas in town.
The place is a former Checkers, so it’s efficient to drive through or to order at the window and eat at one of the umbrella-covered tables. It took a few minutes to make the food, but definitely worth it.
Tortas El Rey
6127 S Orange Blossom Trl
Orlando, FL 32809
(407) 850-6980
https://www.yelp.com/biz/tortas-el-rey-orlando
Interior
Exterior
Bacon egg and cheese
Buttermilk biscuit
*** (3 stars)
This counter server spot occupies a downstairs outside facing corner in Beverly Center. The limited menu offers a hamburger bun with various fillings.
The bacon, egg and cheese sandwich uses nice ingredients to good effect, although a breakfast sandwich would be better on something other than a brioche hamburger bun.
The place is popular given that the sign on the door only allows five people in line inside at a time, although it wasn’t that busy when I was there for breakfast. Perhaps, despite the name, it isn’t a breakfast place, since it doesn’t even open until 8am.
You can skip the dried out, uninteresting buttermilk biscuit.
Eggslut
8500 Beverly Blvd
Ste 101
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(310) 975-3822
https://www.yelp.com/biz/eggslut-los-angeles-10
Bar
Interior
Gnar BQ Taco
1/2 Grown Up Grilled Cheese and side salad
Exterior
***** (5 stars)
A great little dive bar with excellent food and 16 beers on tap.
The place is really small, but there are also some larger tables on the back porch.
The Gnar-BQ Taco was a nice portion of savory shredded pork offset by crisp, tangy slaw.
The Grown Up Grilled Cheese combined cheddar, Swiss and goat cheese with bacon, but the real highlight was thin, crisp apple slices. It was perfectly grilled. I had it as “Mom’s Special”: a half sandwich with a side salad. The blue cheese dressing is VERY chunky.
It’s nice that their tap beers are available in half portions so you can try more. Service was friendly.
The Gnarly Barley
7431 S Orange Ave
Orlando, FL 32809
(407) 854-4999
https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-gnarly-barley-orlando
Interior
Exterior
**** (4 stars)
I always enjoy Gator’s Dockside, and this newest location is no exception. It has a bit less of a sports bar feel than a few of the others, but there are still a lot of TVs, and the menus are the same.
My favorite item is the grilled wings. Grilling removes a lot of the fat, and lets the sauce shine through. My choice is hot garlic. There’s a lunch special weekdays until 4pm that includes fries. On my visit I thought both the fries and wings could have been cooked a bit longer, to crisp the fries and char the wings; I’ll request that next time.
The place must be well-managed, because even though it had only been open a few days and was very busy, service was running smoothly.
Gator’s Dockside
6516 Old Brick Rd
Windermere, FL 34786
Interior
Exterior
Nachos (no beans)
Rib eye
Chili
**** (4 stars)
Based upon the name I was expecting sort of a dive bar, but it’s actually quite modern and nice inside. The menu offers a broad range of sports bar food, and I was pleasantly surprised by how good our selections were.
The nachos were actually better than any I’ve gotten in Chicago’s Mexican restaurants. They were spread out in a thin layer over a huge rectangular tray, so they stayed nice and crisp. We ordered them without the black beans, just our preference.
I had the ribeye, and it was a pretty darn good steak for much less than half what it would cost in any of River North’s steakhouses. About half of it needed to be trimmed away, but that’s what makes a ribeye so tender and juicy, and this one certainly was.
Service from our original server was a bit spotty, but the bartender and manager filled in nicely during her unexplained absences.
I was definitely favorably impressed, and will return.
Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery
One West Grand Ave
Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 755-9339
https://www.yelp.com/biz/rock-bottom-restaurant-and-brewery-chicago
Interior
Exterior
**** (4 stars)
I’ve driven past this places a thousand times and never thought of stopping. Finally did, and was surprised it was more than just the window facing the street. Inside it’s like an old fashioned ice cream shop.
Carrot cake ice cream was very interesting.
Friendly service.
Allen’s Creamery & Coffee House
523 Main St
Windermere, FL 34786
(407) 876-3558
https://www.yelp.com/biz/allens-creamery-and-coffee-house-windermere