Review for Central Filling (Food Truck Love)

It's that time of the year again good people!!! Tonight,  Central Filling had the first gathering of the season and what a way to start it off!! Now the weather was a little nippy but man, the food I got was excellent and I'm gonna tell you about!!!

For those who are not familiar, Central Filling is located off Central Avenue and host several food trucks through out the year.  The trucks bring a variety of different types of food that will leave you full and ecstatic. If you love food trucks, this is the place to go.

So, tonight I will be focusing on two of the trucks that I did get food from. I will first start by saying one of my favorite trucks were on the set, Oakwood BBQ and I always have to show love. These guys are still serving up that good good and you need to check them out. Facebook or Instagram or both, they are out here and ready to turn you into a fan.

So the first truck I tried this evening was CJ's Taco Truck.  They have a wide range of tacos available and if you know me, I enjoy my tacos. Since it was my first time, I wanted something outside of the traditional. My selection tonight was the Asian Fusion. These tacos were amazing.  The incorporation of Asian influence in a taco was the perfect mesh. Chicken served with an Asian slaw and a nice sauce. Needless to say this was a great way to begin the night. 

And if it couldn't get better, CJ'S is getting a brick and mortar in the Embassy Suites Downtown. Check them out.

The next place on the menu was Chef Aaron's Creations. These guys have a plethora of items that will please your appetite.  I was feeling the Asian vibe for the evening so I went with the Asian Pork Nachos.  Now these nachos are far from average and have all sorts of flavor.  The combination of the slaw, pork and their sweet and sour sauce were unexpected.  The three worked together well and made a big impression on me. I will for sure be back to this truck to experience all they have to offer.

Besides the weather,  this was a great outing and will only get better as the weather gets warmer.  The only way to finish it off and make the night complete is with some crafts at Elkmont Exchange.  The Central Filling gets a 5X Tee for bringing all this love together in one place.

Make sure you love the ones who love you and most importantly make sure you treat yourself!!!!

Review for Casen's Steakhouse on Kingston Pike

Good evening and thank you for joining me again on the Fat Boy Problems Blog. Today I visited a place that has been popping up on my page a lot. Curiosity got the best of me so I went in to see what the restaurant had to offer.

Now when you go to the restaurant and you put it in your GPS it may seem familiar but it is a brand new restaurant.  To me, it would be a great place for a special family outing or a date night with that special someone.  (Make sure they're that special someone. Lol) You will want to make sure you have your duckets in check as well. The prices are comparable with other steakhouses in the area.

So, I had my mind on steak from the gate. The menu has a variety of different plates and appetizers that will tantalize your taste buds. I went with the Cowboy Ribeye with a baked potato and a house salad. The steak was perfectly seasoned.  It needed no type of sauce, which is always the sign of a great steak. They cooked it to my specifications and boy it did the trick. (Couldn't finish it and lunch will be fire tomorrow.)

All in all, this restaurant met my expectations.  The steaks were as good as they looked on Facebook.  The butter/herb blend they used to cook the steak in was awesome.  Could have got other sides but what is a steak without a potato right? And I do enjoy a good salad. 

I will be back to eat again and give this restaurant 5X Tee and the itis is real. Take the time to spend with your loved ones and let them know you care. And most of all, treat yourself!!!!!

Review of Southern Grit in the Old City

Happy New Year everyone and it's time for the first blog of the new year!!!! (Did you miss me? Lol) I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and that your year will be the greatest!!!!

Today, I asked people about a restaurant I have wondered about every time I drove by it. Southern Grit is the new kid on the block and the name itself makes you wonder what they are cooking up. Will it be down-south, mouthwatering Southern cooking or will it be someone's modern take on the deliciousness that I know and love? It's 50/50 and had to hear what the people say. The majority stated it was good food and that they would be back. Well, guess whose turn it was the evening? This guy!!!

Let me say, the look for the restaurant is very classic but modern. It's a family friendly place and if you are with your friends for a night out, it will be a great place to start. I went to the bar because it was just me and the bartender was excellent with her service.

The menu was very simple and gave you a nice selection to choose from. Appetizers and the whole nine are available and may I recommend the biscuits to start your night. The biscuits were amazing (Can't pass up on some good biscuits.) and served with syrup and honey butter. Now let's talk about the entree!!!

I went in saying to myself I need to try something different.  I need to open up and get a taste of something that is out of my comfort zone.  Then I saw they had chicken and waffles and that just went out the window!!! The last few times I got chicken and waffles,  I really wasn't impressed.  I was actually kinda disappointed and didn't think I would find a great place in the city. I found that place today!!!

First, this is the first place in the city I have come across that doesn't use chicken tenders with their chicken and waffles!!! Call me crazy but when I think chicken and waffles I want my chicken on the bone. (Wings, breast, whatever!!!) They give you a nice chicken breast cooked to perfection, crispy on the outside, nice and juicy on the inside. Also, you get your choice of heat level.  The bartender advised me of the levels and I wisely went with the medium. (She advised that the hot was habanero hot and I am not built like that! Like spicy food but it doesn't like me.) It is plated on top of a nice, fluffy waffle and served with maple syrup.  I love that they served it on top of the waffle.  Some of the seasoning from the chicken ends up on the waffle and gives a nice combination of sweet and spicy. 

All in all, I enjoyed my meal thoroughly.  The chicken was seasoned properly and stayed moist.  The waffle was the perfect compliment to the chicken and the syrup was the icing on the cake!!! Let's just say the Clean Plate Club was represented tough today.  This place lived up to the talk that was being shared all around and I will return for sure. We are starting the year off with a 5X Tee and hope there are more to come!!!

As always,  take the time to enjoy those around you. Continue to make memories that will last a life time. But most importantly,  take the time to treat yourself!!!!!

Review for Savelli's on Sutherland Avenue

Good afternoon and I hope everyone is having a fantastic day!!! Today, I ate local. Today, I went to a restaurant that I have passed on several occasions and told myself I need to go. Well I made it happen and went for some Italian today.

Savelli's is a mom and pop restaurant that was established in 1993. Several people I know have told me great things about the food and being that Italian may be my favorite type of food, I can't miss. Plus going to a place like this insures you will receive some of the most authentic food in the city. It's a small establishment so make sure you get there early. Open Monday-Saturday,  11a-2p for lunch and 4p-9p for dinner. 

The menu gives you all the classics that you expect with some servings of the house specials. Pricing for the food is fair being this is a mom and pop restaurant and cost can run higher.  They have desserts and the whole nine but after my meal a dessert would have had me a sleep at my table.

Today I went with ome of my favorite dishes, Baked Ziti.  When it comes to Italian food, if your ziti is not on point,  the rest of your food is probably bad as well.  Today was not the case. The Baked Ziti was phenomenal.  The portion size they give you is the right amount for a big boy like myself, could easily be 2 meals for a light eater. The sauce was robust and had lots of flavor.  Everything blended so well and the cheese was melted down to perfection. (The stretch on the cheese was award-winning stretch in my eyes.) And the wait for service and food were minimal which is always a plus.

This restaurant will see me again for sure. The people were friendly,  the food was great and I was full at the end.  This place gets a 5X tee from me and I recommend you check it out for yourself. 

We are coming up on Thanksgiving so let's make sure we surround ourselves with the ones we love and most importantly make sure to treat yourself!!!!

Review for Babalu on Gay St.

Today's review is for a place that I have heard so much about that I had to see what the buzz was about. I've seen people talk about it, post about it and tell me this spot is a place I need to go to. Well, tonight was that night.

Now, the place itself was very modern and appealing to the eyes. The lights outside shined bright lighting up the clear night sky.  The inside was very intimate and cozy. They have a open kitchen that gives you a view of what is going on with your food. From the scene alone I was impressed and ready for an excellent experience.  Let's just say the experience took a turn for the worst quickly.

We were meeting up for our Men's FELLA-ship and the hostess was not the friendliest.  It seemed like she was not wanting to be there tonight.  We have a little wait which is not a problem.  When we finally get seated,  we were there for at least 10 minutes before a waitress came to our table. There were a couple and their child that came in after us that got served before us. When the waitress finally comes to our table after walking pass us multiple times,  she ask if, "we have been waited on?" This question should not be one, in my opinion, that should be asked in a restaurant. Needless to say, this killed the vibe for sure.

But we can't dwell on the service because that is not the reason we came. (Good service is appreciated for sure though and expected.) So for my meal today I went outside of my comfort zone a bit. I ordered the shrimp and grits. Now both selections I enjoy separately but was intrigued and wanted to branch out with my selection. 

So let's start with the presentation.  The presentation was very appealing and made you want to dig in. The shrimp were a nice size and they placed each one on a bed of cheese grits. It was garnished with green onions and served with 2 slices of bread.  The shrimp were also covered in a mushroom sauce that was a twist to the meal. 

Now let's talk about the taste. The shrimp were good. There was some type of breading on them but it didn't stand up to the mushroom sauce. The mushroom sauce added great flavor to the shrimp and worked well with the grits too. Now the grits were good but a little much. They used a chihuahua cheese that had great flavor. (And for a guy who enjoys his grits with sugar and butter,  this was a big step. And that's a debate for another time.) All together it wasn't a bad meal but for the price I was underwhelmed. 

So one thing I can say for sure is that this outing was not one of my favorites.  It started on the wrong foot and couldn't be saved.  I give this a 2X Tee and don't believe I will be back. 

I hope you guys enjoy this blog and please tell me what you think. You can check us out on Facebook,  Instagram and Twitter. 

Remember,  take the time to enjoy the people around you but most importantly make sure that you treat yourself!!!!!

Review for Amigos in Fountain City

This review will probably be short and sweet.  I was trying this place for the first time and wanted to see if we were different from all the other places in the city. Let's just say it was a familiar experience.

The restaurant and decor seemed to be the usual. It gave you a friendly feel and would be a great place for a night out if you are in the area. 

The food was good. I went with my go to for Mexican,  Fajita Nachos.  The portion was good and could have been shared. There was nothing really that separated it from the other restaurants I have been to before. 

The pricing was fair and I couldn't complain about it. The service was okay. I just didn't feel that the waitress was into her job. May have been a bad day.

All in all,  it was an average experience and I give them a 2X tee.

In closing,  take the time to enjoy the people around you and most importantly make sure to treat yourself!!!

Review for Hwy 55 at West Town Mall

Good evening and thank you in advance for reading today's blog. It's been a while I know but tonight I went to a place I have been wanting to check out for a while. It was suggested by one of my minis so we went and checked it out.

Hwy 55 restaurants have been popping up all over the area and made me curious to what type of restaurant it may be. When you hit the door,  you get the nostalgic vibes that they are going for. You are hit by the classic hits of the 50s and 60s. (A lot of you may not understand why the music is so important but music is major for this type of restaurant.) The place was decked out with vinyl on the walls and pics of popular celebrities of the time. For this, I was impressed. 

Our waitress tonight was good. She made sure we were good at all times. It wasn't too busy so this situation can be troublesome with the wrong waiter or waitress because they feel they don't have to work. This was not the case and I was pleased with the service. 

Now let's talk about the food. I love the fact that the burger was cooked on a flattop stove. It got the good crisp that you are looking for in a dinner burger but it tasted like it was left on the flattop a little too long,  dried out the burger.  You were given a choice of fries or tots, which was a plus. The tots I got were good and crispy on the outside and had lots of flavor. (Lil buddy wasn't too impressed with the fries and was sure to give me his opinion on it. Lol)

For the price I paid I really shouldn't expect the extraordinary, 14.16 total for us both, but it could have been better.  This may be one of the few times I was somewhat underwhelmed with the food but the music gave me life.

So I will give this place a 2X Tee. Maybe I will go back or maybe not. If you want something quick while you are at the mall, for a far price,  this place can't miss. It may be I had my expectations a little too high and it might have effected the outcome, but it's a must that I stay true.

I hope you guys enjoy this review and let me know what you think.  Make sure to enjoy all the good things around you but most importantly make sure you treat yourself!!!!!