Pepperoni Pizza

One of the better employees I have ever had at my current job, Andrea, had her last day at work on Friday. I asked what she wanted for lunch and she asked me to make pepperoni pizza. 

So I did. 

She said it was delicious... but then she compared it to Chuck E. Cheese. 

I haven't actually had Chuck E. Cheese pizza in, I don't know, 40 years, but I remember it as being lousy. 

Burger Night

Yep, this was good. 

General Tso Chicken "Sushi"

Someone told me to try the General Tso Chicken Sushi from the co-op. 

Now, I do not enjoy the co-op. It is shopping as performance art rather than necessity. I could go into much more detail but I have already said more than the place deserves. 

But General Tso Chicken Sushi sounded fucking delicious.  

It wasn't. 

It was just pieces of cold, dark meat chicken on top of some shredded cabbage and rice. 

In what world - other than the co-op, I suppose - is this considered sushi? 

However, this sauce was really good. 

And there is a commercial deep fryer at work. So I dropped them in for 90 seconds, then tossed them with the sauce. 

Not surprisingly, they were much better eaten that way. 

But they still had nothing in common with sushi.

Garage Beer Lime

Part of me thinks I have found my new beer for Summer 2026... but part of me thinks I might get tired of this after a week, like I did back in '08 when Hilary introduced me to Bud Light Lime. 

Sliders as Memory

Three sliders as an homage to the beloved burgers of my youth: 

1) Bob's Big Boy 1000 Island, lettuce, and diced onion. 

2) Bull's Eye, mayo, and Tillamook cheddar. (The burgers my father would overcook on the charcoal Weber grill on the back patio.) 

3) BBQ-Chili sauce, lettuce, mayo. (Hutch's BBQ.) 

Cheetos Flavor Swap Sweet Southern Heat Barbecue

These are one of the best chips I have ever had. I shared some with the husband of my Assistant GM, and he claimed they are the single best chips he has ever had - though admittedly he is much younger than I am, and has not tried nearly as many chips as I have. 

Pringles Carolina Pulled Pork BBQ

I thought these were quite disappointing, but my coworkers all liked them very much. 

Ozu

Very small menu, but everything was extremely fresh. Without any question, it is the best Japanese food I have had in Santa Fe... though that is not saying much. 

I will be glad to return. 

Next time I will be ordering twice as much food. 

Antler Chews

Maggie doesn't deserve these but I bought them for her anyway. 

Three Falls in Autumn

I had to read a couple of chapters of this at the grave of an old friend, as he featured in them prominently.

You can acquire a copy, too, if you're interested. 

Some of you degenerates might even recognize yourselves... though the names are changed, of course. 

A Good Town in Which to Drink

I very much enjoy wandering Main Street and stopping in to several of the bars. 

But tomorrow I will tell you the main reason I was here.

Switchback

 

When I first started eating here four years ago, they only offered one birria item: tacos.

So that's what I ordered on every visit. I'm guessing other people did, too, because now they have FIVE different birria items. 

I ordered the quesadilla. 

It was good... but not as good as the tacos used to be. 

The consume was an afterthought and there was not enough of it. 

I ordered a bottle of Pacifico and they were out of it. 

So I ordered a can of Tecate and they were out of it. 

They had Coors Light, which of course I love, but I would have preferred one of the Mexican beers with this meal. 

I wonder if they are just going through the motions because it's late winter and not their busiest time of the year. 

But I have been around the block enough times to know that this is exactly what happens to a restaurant right before it goes out of business. 

We will see. 

Oye

 

I ate in this building several years ago when it was another establishment - there is no forgetting how narrow the building is - and returned for lunch the other day, selecting the Hot Chicken Sandwich. 

It was definitely good, but it could have used something else. Slaw, perhaps. Or maybe just lettuce. 

If I ever return (spoiler: I won't) I will get the fish & chips instead. 

A Chinese Buffet Somewhere East of Durango

The sesame chicken was good. 

Almost everything else was mediocre. 

Except for the hot & sour soup, which was the worst I have ever had. There was hardly any flavor and it was the viscosity of glue. 

My favorite part of the meal was that I ordered an appetizer of paper-wrapped chicken. The lady did not speak English very well and must have thought I ordered pepper chicken, so she brought me an order of that. 

I thought about saying something, but what would be the point? 

Greatest Hits

I've been drinking Coors Banquet since I was 17, and eating pepperoni & green pepper pizza since I was 23. 

Both of those are a long time ago. 

Interesting Timing

Finally, A Day Off

I don't make a big deal of this, because my job is pretty fun most of the time - and really fun in the summer - but the last day I had off was January 25th. 

I'm not saying I have worked 8-hour days every single day. There were a couple of days that I probably only worked 90-120 minutes. 

But that's still work, and facts are facts: I have been at my work every day for the last 47 days. 

So I am taking this one off and fucking around in the San Juan Mountains. 

And... one other reason.

Stay tuned.  

Pacific Seafood Starfish Panko Breaded Fish Sticks

I bought these at Whole Foods last month. 

I ate them on February 18th. 

They are the best fish sticks I have ever had. 

I went back the next day to purchase several boxes. 

They were sold out. 

And they have not been back since. 

¯\_(ツ)_/¯