Trader Joe's Sweet Onion Style Pretzel Twists

 

What a great snack. I highly recommend. 

Peeps Butterbeer

 

I had to ask one of my young coworkers what Butterbeer is. 

This was extremely sweet but I really liked it... because I only ate one. 

I bet I would have felt sick if I ate the whole package. 

Two Booze Burgers & a Valentine's Present to Myself

I bought myself this bottle of sweet onion ketchup, even though the shipping was almost as much as the product. Whatever. It was a present to myself. 

Besides, the star of this meal were the burgers. They were freaking fantastic. 

The first one was made with bourbon glaze and caramelized red onions. 

The second one with raw red onion and pickles. 

Both with homemade fries. 

And Funfetti Valentine's cake. 

California Turkey Burger

I bought one bottle of Bristol Farms steak sauce last September, just to see what it's like. 

It's fantastic. 

I wish I'd bought more. 

Obviously, Trader Joe's and In-n-Out are California legends, too. 

Trader Joe's Dill-icious Cream Cheese Spread

You have to love dill, because this is full of it. 

I love dill, however. 

That's Not What This Is For!

I acquired a label maker so that the people who re-string tennis racquets can put their name, date, kind of string, and tension on the racquet to make it easier for the person to remember all of the details next time they get their racquet strung. 

They used it to put a label on my beer glass. 

I was tempted to fire them all for being unprofessional. 

But then realized I am the one who drinks beer at work whenever I want to. 

So we called it even. 

Dave's Hot Chicken

I guess technically this is still part of the road trip, since I was in ABQ on my home. 

I was actually craving Chinese food and stopped in to two places I have never been. 

Both looked good when I was looking at images on Google but complete crap in person. 

I was going to say "Screw it" and just go to Krispy Kreme and Del Taco - since I like the former and love the latter - but then remembered: Dave's Hot Chicken opened in December just a couple-hundred yards south of Krispy Kreme. 

I ordered the "two sliders combo," and a chicken tender. 

I didn't realize the "sliders" would be the size of an actual sandwich. I ate one and the fries and was full. 

It was delicious. 

I opted for the "hot" chicken. It was spicy, but not terribly so. 

There are two heat levels about this: extra-hot and reaper, the latter of which requires signing a waiver. 

I could probably handle the extra-hot, but not sure how much I would enjoy it. 

I definitely could not handle the reaper. 

I heated the leftovers in the air fryer for dinner. Just as good. 

BTW, every fried chicken place these days has their own mayo-based dipping sauce and most taste the same. (They are all a ripoff of Raising Cane's.) 

But this one might be the best I have had. 

When Late Night Is 9:13

And that, my friends, is the end of this road trip. 

Well, sort of. 

Derailed Pour House

I started drinking in bars when I was 17. There are not many places I have liked more as a designated "last-beer-of-the-evening-and-a-bite-of-food" than Derailed. 

Taco Libre

Sometimes Coors Banquet and freshly-made salsa is all a man needs in life. 

El Moro Spirits & Tavern

I very much enjoy roasted bone marrow spread on bread, and this was indeed very good, but the bacon-shallot jam was better. 

(And the Coors Light was best.)