The Low Down On New Restaurant Adventures

Sometimes I wonder how two related people can be so un-alike. The Kid hates math while I love it. The Kid loves history and I’d rather a swift kick to the head. As part of my birthday list, I have a goal to try 20 new restaurants during this year.  I, personally, am thrilled with the idea. New places, new foods, tah dah! I’ve embraced the challenge with open arms and an open mind.

But then again, we know how much I love food… and it is my goal afterall. The Kid is not quite as thrilled with the idea. She likes our same old same old restaurants, and does not want to go to new places willingly. Oh apple, why did you fall so far from the tree? As with most things that I do, I spend time researching new places and checking out menus online before making the pick for Friday Night Dinner.

I’m using this as an opportunity to completely think outside the cardboard box and try new (albeit weird flavor) combinations. So far we’ve tried six new restaurants and all of them have been a major hit. Like knock it out of the ballpark, squeal with joy, talk with your mouthful while making yummy noises good. Never before had I tried chicken shawarma let alone had it crammed in a pita with cole slaw and fries!

Here’s what we’ve tried so far:

1. Chunky Monkey Food Truck – Chicken Shawarma in a Pita with Jalapeno Cole Slaw, Garlic Sauce, and Rosemary Fries
2. Mellow Mushroom – Thai Curry Chicken Pizza
3. Zoe’s Kitchen – Steak Kabobs with Homemade Tatziki
4. Tacos and Avocados – Grilled Bass Tacos with Fried Avocados
5. Easy Slider Food Truck – Sweet and Lowdown Sliders
6. Andalous Grille – Babaganoush, Fattoush, Hummus and Beet Salad Sampler

My favorite so far were the Sweet and Lowdown Sliders. Who doesn’t love tiny little burgers, right? These came in pairs with each order. The Kid of course got the normal, ordinary sliders with ketchup, mustard, and pickles. To her, it was living on the edge eating small burgers. She definitely wasn’t going to make a flavor leap.

The Sweet and Lowdowns were burgers with bacon and… wait for it… strawberry jam and goat cheese. Yes, thick crunchy bacon and then smeared with melty goat cheese and strawberry jam. I think I had to wipe away a tear of joy as I was eating them. They even had a strawberry slice on the top of each one. The sweet and salty combination was amazing!

Tonight I decided to recreate a healthier version of my own at home. I grilled 93/7 ground beef burgers and served them on a whole wheat english muffin with smooshed blueberries and non-fat Greek yogurt. They weren’t quite the tasty morsels as the Easy Sliders were but they were still really good, and I’m definitely going to add them to my menu to eat again.

Next up for a home recipe recreation is the fattoush. I’ve fallen in love with Mediterranean food and definitely want to try a few of the easier recipes. Have you ever tried weird flavor combinations that turned out to be great? What is your favorite type of food?