Tuesday, July 19, 2011

On The Border, round two, 10/52


On the border, round two. 10/52




There will come a time when I will revisit a place, because I happen to like that place. When I revisit a place, and they have many choices of margaritas on their menu, I will then blog about the 'rita I get, making sure it's not the same as the 'rita I already blogged about. So, on my second visit to OTB, I went for a different 'rita. This time, I went for the "Mercedes Margarita." Different then what I normally would have gotten, but hey, it has Reposado tequila, how could I go wrong?




The 'rita:
For starters, when my "Mercedes Margarita" came to me, the first thing I noticed was there was quite a bit of room between my drink and the rim of the glass. I would guess this drink was missing an ounce or two! Not a great start, but lets give it a try before I develop an opinion. First sip, an eye opener, a tad strong. OK, this could be good, strong means one will do, right? I have learned over the past year of "tasting" margaritas, there are two different types, strong and sweet. It's very rare that a place gets a balance of the two. This 'rita, no different, no balance, all strong. (Not always a bad thing, as long as I have enough salt to make it through to the end.) During the consumption of this 'rita, I noticed an odd thing. The 'rita and the salsa was not a good pairing. After having some chips and salsa, and going back to the 'rita, I noticed an unpleasant flavor in there. UGH, not the best 'rita at all. The salsa and 'rita together produced an almost woodsy taste, like adding a branch as a stir stick. Any way, once I put the salsa down, to finish my 'rita with out the woodsy notes, all was good. Except for the lack of any real buzz. Oh well, next time I will stick with the house 'rita. Better priced and better tasting. This one ended up being $8.99 and not covered in the happy hour special. I'm not sure this one was a bad as a 3 star 'rita, but I sure cannot give it 4 stars. So, I'm gonna have to give this one 3.5 stars.




The food:
The second reason why we pick where we pick when going out. (Ya, the 'rita is the first thing we think about when we choose where to go out.) I'm not gonna lie to you, I have not been the biggest fan of OTB when it comes to food. In my opinion, this place is all about happy hour and the 'rita! But, food is required in life, so here we go. I got the chicken flautas, which are half price on the HH menu, I have gotten them before, and I have been happy with them before. On this particular night that we went, the flautas were not so good, they were actually over cooked. But, I am not the type to say something to the server over a small detail, it really was not that big of a deal. OK, but not perfect. Thats all I really have to say about that.

All in all, not the best visit, but I have been here, at this location, many times and I would go back again. Not the best 'rita and not the best flautas, but it wont stop me from coming back. The service is always wonderful and every one is always so nice.

Please follow me on Twitter to see where I go next! @MamaGMaHaRita

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Changing names!

A quick note, not a review, just a name change note. I have found a new twitter home for my blog, I really hope to find followers soon!

@MamaGMaHaRita

Drop on by, follow me and look out for more reviews, soon. Coming up soon, had a great 'Rita, or two, at DownTown Disney!



Saturday, July 9, 2011

9/52 Chili's in Poway






Time to hit some new places. Chili's in Poway. To start off with, this is not a place we go to often, my husband is not a huge fan of their food, but the food is not horrible. This really is a place for drinks if you are into drinks. Just my opinion any way. Sometimes it can be loud and not as kid friendly as some would like it to be. We did eat on the dining side, not the bar side, so we did not get to take advantage of HH. (That and we were about a half hour too late.) This particular location is open during a remodel, so, there again, a distraction.




Lets start with the margarita. As I was looking at the menu, the server came up and asked if I wanted a 'rita. HA, YA I DO! But I had not yet looked at all my choices. So, I did what any one would do at this point, ask for a recommendation. I had in mind top shelf, but the menu was a bit confusing, add this, add that, sort of thing. You can get a base 'rita and add a shot of this or a shot of that for different add on prices. Odd, but cool, all at the same time. I asked my server and she gave me the, "Well, um…." I let her know that the choice of 'rita mattered to me, I want the best, because I was going to blog about it. She got totally excited and went for a great suggestion, "Presidente Margarita." This 'rita is top shelf all the way. Sauza Tequila, Patron orange liqueur and Presidente Brandy. A lot of what I have not heard of before, but it sure was a bunch of GOOD! This 'rita came in a shaker, at which the server, Dana, did the first pour and then she handed it to me, I was all on my own now. Now, I am not bad at pouring drinks, but with these shakers, you do have to be careful. The lid was a bit leaky, and a little did spill on the table, WHAT? Tequila on the table? This 'rita was almost good enough to lick the table. Just kidding, I'm not that OCD about my 'ritas! Lets talk about the taste. It started off with a clean start, trailed by some sweet. Not too much sweet, just enough. By middle of the drink, I was still on the fence with the flavor, it was the most original 'ritas so far out of all the 'ritas I have reviewed, but it just was not perfect. I have to say though, I was enjoying the wedge of lime on the rim, as I consumed the beverage, the smell of the lime really added to the drink. Once the 'rita was done, and the buzz was OK, I think I will have to give this 'rita a total of 4 stars. Strong, but not perfect. Well done Chili's.




All right, the food. On this particular night, we really were not in it for the food, it was late and we all had some dinner already. We were happy to stick with appetizers, and we have always wanted to try the Chips and Queso. We were going to get a dessert too, but the Queso was filling enough! The Skillet Queso is a cheese dip with seasoned beef, to be honest, the color was not that great. It was an off-putting color for food indeed. But it was tasty. What I enjoyed the most, was the flavor pairing of the Queso with the 'rita. A great pairing indeed! Of course, this was not something I could of had in place of dinner, but it was a nice end to my long day.

Well, thats just about it. I hope this review was helpful to you, especially if you were to venture to a Chili's for some 'ritas and chips! Please feel free to follow me on Twitter as I look for the best 'rita in San Diego! @SD_Rita.

Monday, June 27, 2011

Miguel's in 4S Ranch 8/52

Lets talk about the place that started this whole 'rita craze for me. Miguel's in 4S Ranch. Wondering where that is? Its the far west, and I mean FAR west, end of Rancho Bernardo. As a matter of fact, these folks in 4S would like to believe they are not in RB at all. So, its pretty much between RB and the ocean. A lovely a little community with some nice dining! When I say this place started it all, I knew going into this 52 'ritas in 52 weeks, that I would be comparing a lot of drinks to this place. Why? Because this place is 5 stars all the way. I think I could sit there all nigh drinking 'ritas. (Having a driver with me of course.)




Happy hour is on the patio and bar only, I believe 4 to 7pm. Make sure that if you go, don't wait too long, you'll never find a seat!


Lets start off with the 'rita. I ordered the House Margarita. They have two house 'ritas. The Miguel's 'rita and the Brigantine's house 'rita. They are all in the same "group" so the drinks are pretty much the same. I asked them, "Whats the difference between the Miguel's house and the Brigantine's house?" Grand Marnier! The Miguel's house has Grand Marnier and the other one does not. Same lime and juice, same sweet and sour what ever, but that GM makes the biggest difference in the world! Now, this is the first time I had one of there 'ritas on the rocks, usually I order mine blended here. But because I am now choosing to have all my 'ritas on the rocks, I decided to stick to that here. They deliver the 'rita in a shaker. The surfer suggested I be careful, the lid was a bit on the loose side. With the warning in mind, my next pour was very careful, I did not want to lose a drop! They did not disappoint. Just as good on the rocks as it is blended here. One of the few places where you can get yours on the rocks or blended and be happy no matter what. A rare gem! You take one sip of this drink and it takes you to fresh lime heaven. its so fresh and light, no salt required here. (My husband was lucky to even get a taste of this one, I always let him have a sip of my 'ritas.) The menu price on this one is $9.50, but during happy hour, they take a couple of bucks off, goes to $7.50. At that price, if not driving of course, I could have more then one, and in the past, I have had more then one! I am going to say, its not the perfect buzz, but its still a good one and due to that and flavor, I am giving this 5 stars!


Lets get to the food. Mmmmm, the food. I think, so far, this place and Claim Jumper are the only two places who have been able to deliver great drinks AND great food! Usually, its one or the other. The chips are fantastic and they come with two dips. A chunky salsa, that I pass over to my man, and a creamy cheese dip. That cheese dip is SO fantastic! I always have to ask for seconds on that. Once my food arrives, I like to dip my food into the cheese sauce! Mmmm, I am getting hungry just thinking about it! I ordered the flautas, from the HH menu, and as always, they were perfect. I ate them before I remembered to take there picture.

Thats about it, service was great and fast, food was perfect and the 'rita was tasty! You really cannot ask for more when dining out. Way to go Miguel's in 4S Ranch!

I would love for you to follow me on Twitter as I go around San Diego looking for the best 'ritas! Follow me @SD_Rita.

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Outback steak house, Poway 7/52

Lets get back to business, now that I have had a day off, I can breath and blog. (Ya, I just finished working 23 days in a row)




I wanted to let you all know what I thought about my 'rita at Outback steak house. My man and I, with our 6 year old, went to the Outback in Poway, a couple of weeks ago. I ordered the Top Shelf Patron Margarita. OOPS, it was not my plan to order a Patron 'rita! The one thing that really bugs me about these places, the price of the adult beverages are not always listed on the menu. (But they always manage to list the calorie count, ugh!) Oh well, if its Patron, it better be good, right? To start off with, there were no indications of any happy hour, bar or no bar. So, I just ordered what looked good. This 'rita did have a delightful orange and lime taste, but offered to be a bit too strong and too sweet. The sweet was not so bad at first, but as I got deeper into the 'rita, the sweeter it got. Keep in mind now, when a 'rita is too sweet, it gives me a headache, this one was not that sweet. Now, based on the strong flavor, I was thinking this one was going to knock me on my bottom, however, once again, a bit of a disappointment, it did not. I left on my own two feet with not the best taste. I really did think that Outback would have been a better flavor then Claim Jumper, but it did not deliver, sorry Outback, Claim Jumper wins. On price and flavor. (And buzz.) Will I always compare my 'ritas to CJ now? I am going to give this top shelf 'rita only 3 stars. But hey, it was not so bad that I would not finish it, it just required the salt, thats all! When we got the bill, I saw that this 'rita was only $9, which is a really good, non HH price, for a top shelf 'rita.




For the food, I ordered a burger. At this point, I had no idea how much this top shelf 'rita was going to be, so I opted out of the steak and went for the more reasonable priced burger. I'm gonna have to say, the burger was a tad disappointing too. Truth be told, I have ALWAYS loved the food at Outback, I am guessing it was just an off night for them. I will say though, the toasted bun was perfect! A great touch to my burger.

Well, thats about it, I guess now would be a good time to say the service was, as always, fantastic. Good day or bad day, its still a nice place to be.

For more updates as I hit all sorts of places in San Diego, looking for the best 'rita around, please follow me on twitter, @SD_Rita.

Monday, May 30, 2011

Claim Jumper, in Carmel Mt. Ranch 5 & 6/52

Now that I have had a couple of relaxing days off, I have time for some finer things in life, such as blogging!



This past week, and the week before, we went to Claim Jumper, in Carmel Mt. Ranch, for my 'rita blog. Two weeks in a row? Yes, because their happy hour is such a great time, we had to do it twice! That, and on there HH menu, they had two different 'ritas to choose from.

Claim Jumper's HH is from 3 to 7, and only in the "saloon." During HH there is a nice selection of food, ranging from $2 to $6. I am sure you can get full service, but the HH prices for what you get is outstanding! A plate of sliders with fries was only $5. Add to that my 'rita, top shelf, for only $6. Its a deal and a half. AND, free popcorn! YA BABY! :D We arrived at 4:30 and very glad we did. By time we were getting ready to head out, 5:15, the place was packed. People were hovering over us, waiting for our table to clear out.



5/52
So lets talk about 'rita #1. The Claim Jumper Gold 'rita. Man, oh man, oh MAN! This would be their top shelf selection, with a shot of Grand Marnier on top. Oh and was this a fantastic 'rita! Ya, we are talking 5 stars! Now I have to say, I think I am leaning towards "on the rocks" when it comes to my 'ritas now. I will keep the salt, but I have grown out of the "blended" phase. Truth be told, its a bit of a joke, blended. Kind of like watering down the drink, making the drink mostly ice. I have learned it is impossible to really know what a 'rita truly taste like if its blended. For example, if its poorly blended, it separates and the top, icy part, taste nothing like the liquid part on the bottom. The top is too weak and the bottom too strong. I find myself not enjoying my drink at all! If its perfectly blended, which is rare, its all good. Most of the time, if its perfectly blended, it came out of a dispenser and not from a bartender. However, when I get my 'rita on the rocks, its the same through out the entire drink! I am grateful it did not take me too long into my project to figure this one out. Any way, back to my CJ 'rita. There was defiantly a delightful citrus flavor, fresh all the way! On another note, this one is so delightful, I really don't think the salt was needed on this one, but I still like my salt, so I will keep ordering it that way. One thing that I really loved about this 'rita, was that it did not take long for me to get that "ah" feeling, the slight buzz. At the end of the evening, I felt quite comfortable indeed. I was able to drive home safely after a break walking around Costco, so the buzz could have been a bit better, but I think it was just right. A second one, and I would not have been able to drive home myself. (I'm really not out to get "drunk" ya know) I'm gonna have to say, this one is better then my own, and I really like my own!

6/52
The second 'rita, from the second week. The second 'rita that I had gotten at CJ, was the "House Margarita." I have a confession to make, on this second visit, I actually had 2 'ritas and the first one was the CJ Gold 'rita. The second one, on this night only, was the House 'rita. (I was not driving) For this one, on the HH menu it was only $5. A great price for a 'rita and a great 'rita for a second drink! It was still good, but it was no gold! I can honestly say, spend the extra buck to get the CJ Gold 'rita! But you know, when your first drink works well, it really does not matter what your second drink taste like. During HH here, it would be just fine to get the CJ Gold 'rita first, then the House 'rita second and your set for the evening! I was so set, no more drinks needed to make my night. I really cannot tell you exactly why the two 'ritas were so different, to tell you the truth, I failed to take notes the second visit, but trust me when I say, go gold!



Lets talk about the food! Oh the food was YUMMY! Then again, this is Claim Jumper, I don't think I have EVER complained about their food! I had just a burger, with the shoe string fries. Delightful, truly great burgers here. The second visit we had, we had made up our mind to stick to "bar food" on the HH menu. For the three of us, our 6 year old was with us, we had two of the mini pizzas and an order of sliders. The pizzas were very small, easy for one to finish solo. I am not a huge pizza fan, but they sure were good. My favorite dish of all of them were the sliders. We asked for a side of BBQ sauce, and that just really hit the spot. I think next time, I will get the sliders for myself and let the rest eat pizza! :D The food at CJ is simply put, outstanding!

I thank you for taking the time to read my review. I encourage you to follow my blog as well as follow me on Twitter, @SD_Rita, where I plan on keeping you all updated in real time of all the delightful 'ritas I find around San Diego!

Friday, May 20, 2011

This week, I made my 'rita! 4/52



(The actual drink is not really green. The glass is green in color.)
This week, my margarita came from my own hands. Let me tell you, it was MMMMMmmmm GOOD! Of course, I do believe my own 'rita is good, so I had to let others tell me if they were good or not.

So, on Friday, I went to a friends house, with a few additional friends, and put together my beloved drink. I mixed up a batch, measuring everything out carefully and proceeded to poor for 4 out of 6 of us. (Two of the guys simply stuck to beer.) For the most part, serving up the drinks were quite easy, three of us were happy with salt and on the rocks. One of the ladies wanted her 'rita blended. Let me tell you, Magic Bullet to the rescue!

What did I put into my home made 'rita? Here we go:

(For one drink)
2 ounces of freshly squeezed limes (yep, I did all the work, AND broke one squeezer and had to buy a new unit that actually worked.)
2 ounces of simple syrup. (recipe to follow.)
1 ounce of tequila (My favorite right now, Reposado tequila from Familia Camarena)
1 ounce Grand Marnier (The icing on the cake.)

The simple syrup is quite easy, I guess thats why its called "simple" syrup. You take one cup of water and one cup of sugar. Put them in a pan and on medium heat on a stove top. Stir until the sugar devolves, your done! Put in an air tight container, refrigerate and its good for 2 weeks.

Obviously, you can use any tequila you like! I just personally have seen plenty of Jose to last me a life time and wanted to try something new. Thats when I came across the Reposado tequila and man, I am glad I did, its a great tequila!

I guess thats it. I would not say my 'rita is the best there ever was, but I have to say, it sure beats the heck out of most of the ones I pay top dollar for! For the record, ALL of my friends who partook of the 'ritas this past weekend, were all loving the 'rita's and were asking for more!

Please follow me as I twitter my way through this adventure, @SD_Rita.