2009 Food Review #4 Bacon Wrapped Hotdog

2009 Food Review #4 Bacon Wrapped Hotdog


Name: Bacon Wrapped Hotdog
Price: $6.75
Location: Tres Agaves, Promenade Level, behind Section129
Condiments: Onions, Roasted Jalapenos, and Chipotle Mayonaise
Cooked: Looked to be Grilled
Size: Med/ Small
Detail:
Well, this one just sounds evil….Bacon??? Hotdog????? My arteries clenched as I ordered……Nice presentation with peppers and onions and some orange Mayo……with some chips in the side….not bad…….Now I figured the Jalapeno's would overpower the sausage and Bacon, so I ate those first with the Chips…..not a bad appetizer…..pretty hot, but not scorching…..I do like hot food, but not insane hot….this was probably a little more than my tongue would have liked and I got a sweat going, but it WAS NOT AN OH MY GOD TOO HOT experience…..after eating the peppers, I let my taste buds recover for a few minutes…and into the sausage…The bread was nice……a thick slick of a Jalapeno Loaf that was split halfway and hinged to form a bun…clever……the Pepperless dog was still dressed well with onions and mayo……The bread was just a little dry, but nothing to complain about especially with the added moisture of the Mayo……the dog had good charred skin, and the onions added a nice texture to the bite……the flavor, well….was disappointing…..basically it tasted as if I was eating a standard Oscar Meyer Weiner with some onions and Chipotle mayo…..in fact the Mayo was the best and most prominent flavor…….Sure the Mayo was good, but not really what I was looking for ……. I finished the dog fairly quickly, and could not detect the faintest hit of bacon…..a let down to be sure for Bacon lovers…….my first experience with this "Mexican Street Classic," perhaps that’s the way it's supposed to be….either way…not worth the time, money or cholesterol…….next time at this stand, I go for the Borracho Nacho's which looked pretty good….

OVERALL RATING
2 sombreros (out of 5)

2009 Food Review #5 Cha Cha Bowl

2009 Food Review #5 Cha Cha Bowl


Name: Cha Cha Bowl
Price: $9.75
Location: Promenade Level Bleachers (upper level bleachers)
Condiments: Habenero (also available with Jalapeno, Chipotle, and BBQ)
Cooked: Mostly Grilled
Size: Medium
Detail:
A few things have changed since I last reviewed Orlando's Back in 2007. First of all, they no longer serve the Tri Tip, which also means no Beef Cha Cha. They still serve Red Stripe (yes, It's Beer) and have added Bud Light Lime???....ok…..They also added Nachos with and without chicken. I also hear there is a second booth up in View Reserve…haven't seen it, so can't promise anything. So I ordered my Chicken Cha Cha Bowl, and was served quickly….I decked it out with a perfect amount of Habenero and went back to my seat. The nice thing about the bowl is it seals tightly and is much sturdier than before…..almost like Tupperware, you could probably even stick it in your bag. So back at my seat in the bleachers I dug in. First thing I notice, is not only the price up $0.50 from a couple years back, the portion is noticeably smaller….not a good start. The Jerk Chicken was nicely spiced and actually pretty moist considering chicken is so hard to get right. The cucumber was still a little crisp and the beans were cooked well but firm. As I got into the meal, I realized that the reduction in volume was mostly missing rice, and the reduction in rice actually helped bring all the flavors and textures into balance. The Habenero had a good bite and flavor and overall I was very pleased with the execution of the dish.. I am not really fond of the other sauces,. The Jalapeno is comparable to the Habenero in spice, but the flavor is a little lacking. The Chipotle doesn't have the bite, and the BBQ is just too sweet. Next time around I might try a mix of Habenero and Chipotle……

OVERALL RATING
4 pot leaves out of 5

Almost knocked off 1/2 a leaf for price/ portion ratio, but then again it about what you might pay at a restaurant, although in a restaurant would give you a bigger portion. But hey, I don't need to eat that much anyway, after all those sausages I could stand to lose a pound or two or seven.









And just in case anyone is wondering
CHA CHA = Orlando Cepeda's Nickname
Orlando Cepeda has been "associated" with use of cannabis

2009 Food Review #3 GIGANTE TACO SALAD

2009 Food Review #3 GIGANTE TACO SALAD


Name: Gigante Taco Salad
Price: $7.75
Location: Joe Garcia, Field Club (also in Club Level)
Condiments: I did splash some Tapatio on this
Cooked: Varies…..think Meat was Grilled
Size: Large
Detail:
Had my eye on this one….saw a few people eating the other day and it looked pretty good…Had it planned all day…Light Breakfast…..Light Lunch…..Pig out for Dinner was the plan…….So straight from the gate to the food…. I lined up behind a Dodger fan....I eyed his binoculars and thought it odd he brought them for Field Club seats….and then it dawned on me…..I asked him if it was Liquor…he said "It was before it was dumped out at the gate"……his Giants fan friend then chimed it…."I was smart and just got a flask in my pocket"……Yeah, the LA fan deserved it for getting too fancy…………
But I digress…….So you have a choice of meats…..so I opted for Cow……you can choose toppings…. so I asked for the works……..I got a nice looking fat ass bowl of stuff and paid the cashier…….I grabbed a fork and napkins and dug into my bounty……..Lets see……Meat…..nice Mexican Spice to it…..small pieces and a little chewy…but not tough……Add the Guac, Beans, Sour Cream, Salsa, Cheese, a little Green Onion and we got a meal….wait a second….WHERE'S THE LETTUCE????.....I start mixing the thing, and I can only find a light sprinkling of lettuce at the bottom…..too hungry and lazy to get more lettuce…. I dig in…..Guac was good quality, without much spice……Beans….well….soft and firm….Salsa was mild…..Green Onion pieces were a bit large…but overall the components were pretty good…..but this dish was WAY OUT OF BALANCE……The meat and what little lettuce there was couldn’t support the Gooey Guac and Sour Cream…..it was like eating mouthfuls our Guac/ Sour Cream with a sprinkle of Meat and Lettuce…..I found myself breaking the walls of the bowl off and dipping like chips just to add some balance……Could have been SOOO much better if they just balanced it out…….I will likely go back and "COACH" the assembly of the salad……………
As far as the other stuff here…I would think the Taco and Burrito are worth a shot considering the pretty good quality of the components…Not really spicy at all, even with the hot sauce added….. now that I think about it….. some Jalapeno's could have taken this to another level…dammit the sign says they have them, but I guess I need to ask for them specifically,,,,..…..Overall not horrible, but lots of potential……Good size for the money at $7.75……heck….restaurants wouldn't be much cheaper ….especially in the City……




OVERALL RATING
3 sombreros
Probably generous score considering the experience……
This has potential to be 3 1/2 or 4….with more Lettuce and some Jalapenos

2009 Food Review #2 Corned Beef Brisket

2009 Food Review #2 Corned Beef Brisket


Name:Corned Beef Brisket
Price: $9.00
Location: Carvery, Field Club (also in Club Level)
Condiments: Horse Radish, and a touch of Salt
Cooked: Steamed??? Then Heat Lamp (YUM)
Size: Medium/ Small
Detail:
Had this quite a few times….a very popular item and they often will run out of the beef by the 3rd or 4th inning……I believe it is steamed, and then carved to order…I droll as I look at a large piece of brisket with the Mustard Seeds still clinging to the flesh…You watch as the trim the fat and the juices flow in an West Coast imitation of a good old East Coast Deli …..slapped onto a freshly cut French roll and with a pickle spear you move to the cashier and pony up $9……I like a little Horseradish and a touch of salt which is available near the ketchup and mustard…..Some people go for the Mayo, but that’s a little much for me……..Settling into our seats, I dig in….the bread is NICE and SOFT with some chew and the meat is tender juicy and flavorful……The texture of the bread and the grain of the meat give a great mouth feel ….The pickled meat flavor is a little muted, but this is will never been confused with roast beef….….It goes down fast and easy with just a little mess…..about as good as any Deli on the West Coast…..the only real gripe is the price/ size ratio……certainly not a deal, but if you ignore the price, it will hit the spot…….Hey there is a reason I have downed at least 15 of these over the past few years……

OVERALL RATING
3 1/2 Clovers
(Would be a 4, if it wasn't for the $9 price tag….should be $6.50-$7.00 and that's ball park pricing)