Rockford Foodie Goes to MashUp

The other day I heard there was a restaurant called MashUp that has been really crowded and that the food has been really good. So, I checked out the Yelp reviews and saw some mixed reviews, so I thought this was the perfect place to try out. Most places that get all great reviews are either really great, or really hyped, and I am not a fan of hype. Yes, Rockford, you hype, you hype hard, have you heard the way people talk about Stockholm Inn? I will get into this at another time.

So the first thing I notice when I get there - at around 6:30 - is that it is not crowded. The waiter tells me that there is a special for 2 dollar Old Milwaukee cans. I wouldn't call that a special, but to each his own. What does Old Mil cost when it is not on special? I think if you buy Old Milwaukee for $2 you are getting ripped off by about $1.75. Old Mil is awful. I know there is a select group of people that think Old Milly is great (for reasons unknown), but your not in college anymore so elevate your game!
For apps, we got these "Buffiyaki" chicken wings, which was a unique flavor and pretty damn good - if you like chicken wings (and who doesn't?) then you should get these. I got a TV dinner entree, as they call it, and it was pretty good. Most people thought their food was "good" or "pretty good." How the food is described in the menu is what it tastes like. For instance, I got roasted chili mashed potatoes, and it tasted exactly as it sounds -delicious.

I will likely go back to try some other things, the decor is nice, the food is inventive and different while still being "home cooking." My official Rockford Foodie rating is 7.5 - which is pretty good if I do say so myself.

Rockford Foodie in Las Vegas (Part 2)

So a group of us are in Las Vegas a few weeks ago for the March Madness tournament and we decide to have a nice dinner at a place called Spago, which I believe is a Wolfgang Puck restaurant. First off before I get into the actual meal, I have to say that I don't get the hype around these big to-do chefs. These places tend to be overrated and overpriced. You pay a price for eating at places like this, so I know that value may not be on the top of your priority list, but you should know that when you go to this that a fifty dollar entree may taste like a 25 dollar entree from some less well-known chef. Also when you go there, the waiter says everything "is to die for," (which I know in movies there is always some snobby old woman at a snooty party or fancy club who talks about chocolate cake or scallops that were to die for, but seriously, no piece of food is to die for and to say it is absurd and almost as ridiculous as saying no offense before saying something that is clearly meant to be offensive). So if you tell the waiter after you have eaten and you say the food was fine and not divine, he will start to wonder how this could be. How could someone not think that this amazing food thought up by chef so and so is not so amazingly delicious, even on a bad day this food is perfect, what is this guys problem? He will ask you why it was not perfect, and will then inquire into what genetic deficiencies that you have that you do not think this food is so damn good and this goes on for about 45 minutes (another waiter comes and talks to you about it, the hostess comes, then the manager, and sometimes the cook - all asking the same questions). So from now on, just to save time really, I tell these waiters and waitresses that its great.

Back to Spago, the food was pretty decent, I think had on of their steak specials and everything was pretty good. Did it live up to the hype????? Not really, sorry to say, but not really. Maybe I hyped it up to much in my own mind, I am a little bit more skeptical know though and hopefully won't make the same mistake for at least a couple months. Everybody else at my table thought the food was great, or so they said, and they let me try their food. 2 points here: 1st, the fact that they let me try their food and didn't want to eat every last bite tells me that they didn't really think it was that great; 2nd, the food wasn't really any better than mine. The bill came and reminded me how great the people at the restaurant thought their food really was, and when asked by the waiter, I told him the food was great. No offense Spago, but your food is not that great. I would have told you in person, but I didn't have the time.

Rockford Foodie In Las Vegas (Part 1)

Rockford Foodie made it to Vegas this year to bet on the March Mayhem, which didn't go so great, but hey its Vegas. When I was there I went to some good and some not so good restaurants. Since Vegas is, in my opinion, the number one thing that America has to offer, I figured you would like my expert opinion about places where I ate. The first place I went was called Koi in Planet Hollywood which interestingly turns into a night club at night. This place is your typical sushi/tempura joint, but it has some interesting flavors and a different atmosphere that makes the high price range (compared to Rockford) seem kind of worth it. The atmosphere involves these big fluffy couches that you sink into, which is great if you are at your buddies house drinking beer and watching the game, but not so great when you are trying to maneuver sushi and tempura with chopsticks (yeah, didn't even give the option for silverware, how presumptuous). My wife thought the chair thing was awesome though so suit, or seat in this case, yourself.

As for the food, it was pretty great. Was it $134 dollars better than Rockford's own Hachi Hachi.... debatable, very debatable. It's debatable because I don't know about you, but raw fish kind of all tastes the same. Don't get me wrong. I like sushi and know there is a difference between good sushi and great sushi, but that difference is small. Anyone that says different is pretentious (no offense if that just happens to be you, but c'mon get real).

JMK versus Shogun

So I know what you are thinking, whats the difference between JMK and Shogun? To be honest, not much, but it seems like when you ask anyone in this area they have a story and long explanation about why so and so is the better Japanese restaurant. "Well JMK has like 3 dipping sauces and Shogun only has two, and JMKs brown sauce is SOOOOOOO GOOODDD! I could eat it with ice cream!!!"

Yeah, its pretty much a soy sauce, some spiciness, and a little Japanese flavor which is pretty much how all the other sauces taste. It's good, don't get me wrong, but I am not going crazy for dipping sauces here people. You are pretty much paying for presentation/the show (don't deny it my fellow Rockfordians). I feel like these words may end my blogging career before it gets a chance to get huge because the people in this area consider their Japanese restaurants to be their one cool place that they can take their friends that are visiting from Chicago and be like "see guys, Rockford ain't so bad, look at this awesome restaurant. The guy splits an egg in mid-air with a spatula!"

In fact both guys at both restaurants will split an egg in mid-air with a spatula. They are pretty much the same, so if you feel like Japanese, then just pick one that has an open reservation. Oh, and the food is pretty good either way (Rockford Foodie Official Score = 7.1 out of 10 for each place), but beware that your coat will smell like frying oil for a good two weeks.

Welcome

Hey Y'all, this is the first post from your one and only Rockford Foodie. You might say to yourself, what does this guy know about food and why should I listen to him? Well, while I am not trained in the exquisite art of cuisine... I don't really know where I was going with this so I will start over.
Rockford needs this website because when I moved here a few years ago, I asked people for reviews and looked at Yelp and other websites. One thing I found was that McDonald's was rated #3 for best Rockford breakfasts by the people of Rockford. WTF Rockford? Seriously, McDonalds? I mean their breakfast is tasty, but is it really in your top 5? Also, no offense to the Yelp reviewers because I love that website, but you don't really know what you're getting - you got people saying its awesome because the waitress gave them an extra margarita or rating it low because the chips were somewhat stale. With me you are getting a review from a someone who knows how food should be and how it needs to be.