Who Asked You?

Posts Tagged ‘critique’

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What’s this? Can it be?!?! Our food podcast has returned! Just in time for Thanksgiving too. Today’s locale is as far from a traditional turkey feast as you can probably get though. Charlie and Dennis have once again recorded their gluttony, this time at Anime Ramen & Teriyaki. An establishment only a few months old serving noodles and other traditional Asian fare.
The place takes their anime theme to the max. They’ve covered their walls with anime artwork and as you’ll hear, they’ve got popular anime songs blasting throughout the place. There’s also big screen TV’s playing anime movies — during the fellas’ visit, their in-dine movie was CASTLE IN THE SKY — and all of the servers are sexy young Asian chicks! The owners clearly know their demo.
Because it’s been so long since the last ON THE MENU show, the guys are a little out of practice… who am I kidding? They don’t practice, ever. As a result, they forgot to photograph their meals before Hoovering them. That’s okay though, because Anime Ramen’s website has pictures of their entire menu on the front page!
Dennis ordered some Macaroni Salad and Gyoza to start while Charlie sipped away on his Boba Tea flavored with Taro, a root that gives the tea a purple hue and a nutty flavor. Charlie’s appetizer was a plate of Soft Shell Crab.
Their main courses, were of course, noodles. All of the noodle bowls at Anime Ramen are served with your choice of meat or seafood. Dennis went with the latter. It’s literally called “Seafood” on the menu. I’m sure you can guess what’s in it. Meanwhile, Charlie went with traditional ramen served with Tonkotsu, boiled pork and a random egg floating about, as well as Shoyu which is typically chicken or beef in a tangy broth doused in soy sauce.
Table conversation, as expected, varies from an unfortunate food poisoning incident Dennis and his dad suffered after eating at a questionable casino to McDonald’s and their secret to making a tasty Egg McMuffin and whether or not the recipe includes MSG. Lets hope we don’t get McSued.
There’s plenty more interesting chatter where that came from, including the final verdict on Anime Ramen and whether or not the gents recommend a visit.

Anime Ramen & Teriyaki is located at:
4355 Spring Mountain Road, Suite 101
Las Vegas, NV 89102
(702) 252-5088

Visit Anime Ramen & Teriyaki online:
www.www.animeramenlasvegas.com
Find them on Facebook
Follow them on Twitter @AnimeRamen

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Today on the show, Charlie and Dennis try out some famous sandwiches. Voted Vegas’ Best of 2010 in the LAS VEGAS WEEKLY magazine, EDDY D’s FAMOUS ITALIAN SANDWICHES has been feeding Las Vegans’ top quality meats, cheeses and specialty items for around just about a year. Not bad to receive such an honor after opening up so soon. Eddy D’s is family owned and operated. They started the establishment after not finding what they called a “happy place” in Las Vegas. In other words, a sandwich shop with good bread, good meats and good cheeses. They believe a top-notch sandwich starts with only the best bread. They worked for over a year with local bakers in the Vegas Valley to create the ultimate Artesian bread.
Charlie and Dennis both said they felt very welcomed in the shop. Some old folks were just hangin’ out inside chit chatting as though it was part of their daily routine and it added to the very casual welcoming atmosphere.
Charlie’s sandwich choice was “The Figaro”. On it comes hot Soppressata, dry-cured Capacola, sharp provolone cheese, lettuce, Eddy D’s marinated tomatoes and provolone cheese on their signature bread previously mentioned.
As for Dennis, his sandwich was one of the main reasons the 2 choose Eddy D’s. It’s called “The Robert” and is considered by many to be direct competition to another popular sub from a well known restaurant here called CAPRIOTTI’S. Their sandwich is called “The Bobby” and is basically a casserole on a bun consisting of all your Thanksgiving faves: turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce. Paint on some mayo and you’ve got one fine sub to be thankful for. From word of mouth, Charlie heard about “The Robert”, told us about it and consequently it was perfect subject matter for ON THE MENU.
If you listen to WHO ASKED YOU? you’re probably aware that Dennis is a huge fan of gravy (reference our 2010 Thanksgiving show). And “The Robert” delivers. That’s 1 of 2 differences that set it apart from “The Bobby”. The other is that it’s smothered in cheese. Dennis is a huge fan of “The Bobby” so “The Robert” has some pretty strict standards to live up to. Will it deliver on the restaurants promise of 100% satisfaction gauranteed? Or will it just leave Dennis thankful for “The Bobby”? Find out on this edition!

Eddy D’s Famous Italian Sandwiches is located at:
8410 West Cheyenne Avenue
Las Vegas, NV 89129
(702) 541-8792

Visit their website for more information:
www.edsworldfamoussandwiches.com

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It’s a taste of Chicago this week. ON THE MENU visits a little Italian restaurant specializing in windy city-themed fare. This is the first place Charlie and Dennis have featured on the show that they’ve never been to before. Some food critique show huh? Up until now they’ve been hitting places they know to be good. Finally they’re sampling some sustenance they’ve never tried before and will give their honest first-hand opinions on it. What made them decide to on this place? Listen in to find out. All I’ll say is it gives new meaning to the words ‘low-budget podcast.’
AMORE TASTE OF CHICAGO is a moderately sized establishment. The day the fellas visited, it seemed pretty busy. The walls are covered with Chicago sports memoribelia and the pop music was blasting away in the background.

Ordinarily we wouldn’t focus too much on drinks here, but in this instance we’ll mention a special beverage The Cheese chose to go along with his order. Described as tasting like a lollipop, the Green River Soda is a nostalgic east coast drink that was served up via soda fountain in the early days. After the green stuff was discontinued, a bottling company in… yep, Chicago started making it again. So it’s no wonder you’d find it in a Chicago-themed eatery.
To go along with his green drink, Charlie started with an appetizer of Cheesy Garlic Bread. His main course, Rigatoni Amore featured a generous portion of red and green peppers, onions and Italian sausage tossed with pasta and covered in marinara sauce. You can also get it with grilled chicken breast. But it seems Charlie is a sausage guy, not a breast guy. Cue rim shot. I’ll be here all week.
Dennis can not pass up a good plate of ribs. And so was the case this time. His appetizer was some pretty run-of-the-mill Minestrone Soup. But then the ribs came. Served on a long rectangular plate, the 10-bone BBQ Baby Back Ribs come served up with a pile of french fries and a side of baked beans.
The portions were good, but overall the guys thought the menu was a bit pricey. You can find Amore’s entire menu on their website in the Show Links below. Listen in to find out if Amore’s flavor is worth its price!

Amore Taste Of Chicago is located at:
3945 South Durango Drive
Las Vegas, NV 89147
(702) 562-9000

Visit their website for more information: www.amoretasteofchicago.com

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It’s time once again for Charlie and Dennis to stuff their faces full of food. And with the show finally having a title the gents head off for some rotisserie meats at Sonio’s Cafe & Rotisserie. Both Charlie and Dennis have been to Sonio’s before. But this is the first time in a long time given the restaurant burned down in September of 2003 along with several other businesses in the strip mall that housed it. It took just over a year for Sonio’s to reopen its doors and many were counting down the days to when when that happened. Lines were out the door on their grand re-opening.
And nearly 6-years later the fellas have returned to sample the menu and bring their critique to you. Charlie’s order, the Italian Beef Sandwich, was topped with sweet peppers and came with a sort of Au Jus sauce meant to pour over the meat. It’s not until Charlie fails at dipping the enormous sandwich into the tiny cup that a server walking by explains what to really do with the liquid. Once poured over the shredded beef it soaks down into the bread like a tasty sponge. The Cheese also upgraded his French Fries to include some cheese. By making them Greek Fries they came seasoned with herbs and topped with crumbled Ricotta Cheese.
Dennis chose a Sonio’s special that included half of a chicken and 2 sides. Those sides were Hot Potatoes and Rice Primavera. The potatoes were Red Skins tossed with peppers, onions and garlic. The Rice Primavera was mixed with vegetables and seasoned nicely.
Before the meal arrived the guys were treated to some chips and salsa, unaware at the time that they were complimentary. Their concerns are soon stifled with the crunching and dipping of said chips as well as Dennis’ theories on hot sauce labels featuring exotic Latino women.
Both Dennis and Charlie were quite satisfied with Sonio’s all around. The portions are generous, but just right, the service was friendly, the price was affordable — most items under $10 — and Charlie learned to pour the dip on his food when the cup is too small for dunking.

Sonio’s Cafe is located at:
3900 West Charleston Boulevard
Las Vegas, NV 89102
(702) 307-2177

Visit their website for more information: www.sonioscafe.com

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This week’s episode of the…….. still……… unnamed food consumption entertainment hour gets off to a confusing start on several points. First the guys don’t initially tell us where they’re dining. So it’s a guessing game until about 42 mintues into the show. Then they bring up the fact that Chase promised there would be a title for the show by it’s 5th running. The fellas think they’re in the clear because they think this is their 4th show. It’s not… it is the 5th. And therefore it should have a name, but it does not. So we have a food show without a name and two hosts that don’t know how many episodes of it they’ve already done. This could only happen on the Interwebs.
To clarify for the record, the guys are at Pin Kaow Thai Restaurant this week. There are 3 locations throughout the Las Vegas valley to serve you. They offer a very Thai atmosphere and some authentic Thai cuisine. The two start things off with some golden brown spring rolls to snack on until the main course arrived. Charlie’s meal was Pin Koaw’s Catfish Green Curry. Featuring green Thai special curry paste with coconut milk, bamboo shoot and Thai basil leaves over catfish. To drink, the cheddar man was chuggin’ a Thai Ice Tea with ice that doesn’t quite meet his expectations. However, early in the dinner he samples Dennis’ green tea, which both of them agree is not as good as that they had at Osaka Japanese Bistro on a previous show.
Dennis went with the Pad Thai, your choice of beef, chicken, pork, tofu or shrimp mixed with rice noodles sauteed with bean sprouts and crushed peanuts. A dish he says he’s sampled at several locations. So how does Pin Kaow’s measure up? Quite well it would seem. Dennis says theirs is, “very flavorful”. And gets his seal of approval. As mentioned Dennis was drinking green tea. Charlie felt like the green tea at Pin Kaow was something on the level of what you’d brew at home. So it may not be the best beverage to choose when you’re visiting Pin Kaow.
Tonight’s dinner conversation, as usual, veers off in many directions. Charlie regales us all of the time he worked at a bowling ally concession counter and met R&B singer, Avant. Apparently, the rhythm and blues artist tried to play the celebrity card on Charlie in hopes of scoring some free snacks. But as anyone who listens to Who Asked You? knows, Charlie doesn’t follow main stream entertainment like most people do, therefore he didn’t know who this guy was. He did however know who his date was… a bored looking Tisha Campbell, better known for her role as Gina on the hit series Martin. How do you suppose she reacted when Avant couldn’t get any comped candy? Tune in and find out. By the way… she’s married, but not to Avant… case of mistaken identity? Hmmm…
Dennis has met his share of famous faces too while working in a Las Vegas hospital. He was cussed out by Jerry Lewis and once met a very kind Pat Morita shortly before his death. He also once got punched in the chin by a crazy old dude… not famous, but funny nonetheless.
Since this is a food show, Charlie also tells the tale of when he once made a pizza-sized sugar cookie at the same bowling ally snack bar. To go with it, he had a 44-ounce cup of coffee… and was probably nearly thrust into a coma either by the sugar overload or the caffeine one.
Nothing is spared at the food show table when it comes to dinner discussions. Not even Mike’s deviated septum. That’s all we’ll type on that. Just listen to the show to get the runny rundown on it. Nose and mucus news aside, it’s a good episode at a good restaurant. Both Charlie and Dennis are happy with what they ordered and the universe is at peace. Not the best they’ve eaten, but certainly good and worth a return visit. Plus, unlike at Hash House A Go Go, the service was good!
And yes Dennis… I, Chase, did listen to this. This will make sense when you too listen to this episode.

Pin Kaow Thai Restaurant is located at these 3 locations:
1974 North Rainbow Blvd.
Las Vegas, NV 89108
(702) 638-2746

7835 South Rainbow Blvd.
Las Vegas, NV 89139
(702) 225-4646

9530 South Eastern Ave. Suite 100
Henderson, NV 89123
(702) 407-1188

Visit their website for more information: www.pinkaowthai.com/