LPython wrote:

PopcornMegaphone wrote:Cheese pizza at Taqueria El Ranchito.

I used to naively believe "even when pizza is bad, it's still pretty good" was true.

Yes, I ordered a cheese pizza at a 24 hour Mexican joint. Why do I do this to myself? The crust tasted like cardboard. The sauce was was weak and runny. The cheese was like rubber. I had two bites and threw out my entire order.

I am a fool.

My husband and I have a running joke about this place. We've never actually been there, but we got a takeout menu on our porch and were bowled over by the Mexi-Italo-steakhouse mish-mash they offer ... plus quail. Every time we pass by it now, we crack a joke about stopping in for quail. I always visualize a couple sad little freezer-burnt critters in a dark corner of the walk-in, just waiting to be plucked from obscurity. (According to the Yelp review I just saw from someone who did, in fact, have the huevos to order the quail, they definitely should have remained in obscurity.)

Quail? But...doesn't that block have quite a pigeon problem?

CVittorio wrote:I could not agree more. Whenever I am dragged to Kumas, and yes I say dragged, I purposely don't eat half of my burger so I can have it for dinner the same night or lunch the next day. Not sure how it works, but It's mindblowing how much better it tastes heated up.

My girlfriend had some friends in from Manhattan the other weekend. They all went to Kuma's and I told them about this reheating thing. A few days after they returned to Manhattan, I got a Facebook wall post saying how the burgers were better a few days later heated up in the microwave.

Yet another two people confirm it..I wonder why it is. The juices have more time to settle into the rest of the meat? I've never experienced this with any other burger before though, at least that I can remember.

Boston Market's ribs. The wife just brought some of the worst salt laden ribs I have ever tried in my life home as a "treat". Awful, just awful.

exvaxman wrote:Boston Market's ribs. The wife just brought some of the worst salt laden ribs I have ever tried in my life home as a "treat". Awful, just awful.

Funny, saw the ad for them and I thought it said they were actually smoked. Was there real smoke flavor? Were they fall-off-the-bone type? Probably not going to take a risk, but curious nonetheless.

The ribs did not "fall off the bone".
It was hard to taste anything but the salt. However, if you remember "open pit BBQ sauce" that was what the flavor was like, with tons of extra salt.

Duck Tongue from "Original" Triple Crown. (The one on 22nd PL)

It was midnight. We were drunk. Andrew Zimmern was on TV. Original Triple Crown had an interesting looking "late night" menu on Grub Hub (Jellyfish, intestines, pork blood, hearts, and yes; the duck tongue). Plus they deliver all the way here to UK Village?? Done!

Big mistake.

Easily the grossest thing I've ever tasted. Not only was it gross, but only after popping that first one in my mouth did I realize how "un-fresh" this protein was, and no, I did not realize Duck Tongues had bones in them either... I thought maybe it was a fermented thing, and gave my best shot at eating a few others like a chicken wing, being that I was full of "liquid courage." Still gross. Then I thought maybe they were just there to flavor the dish and not meant for eating. Still GROSS. No amount of Listerine could get the gamey taste out of my mouth, I swear it lingered for days.

Too bad this kinda put me off on trying new things for a bit. I've been ordering take out from Sticky Rice for years and years, but never actually dined in there. I was always saving my "tryout" of the fried worms for an actual sit down there with a beer, for fear of them not holding up well on my car ride all the way back down western to my apartment in Ukie Village (assuming they should sort of be like fries.) I was planning on a get together there with a few friends just to try this app; but the damn duck tongues from OTC were so awful I'm now having a pavlov dogs like reaction to trying new, exotic things. Boo.

Moral of the story; don't drink and Grub Hub late night unless it's a stuffed from Chicago's Pizza, and.... Andrew Zimmern literally eats sh!t; don't let his charming foodie personality influence you straight out of your own foodie curiosity.

I'll get over it; but man that OTC order was so bad it scarred my brain and taste buds for life.

-B

Funk Dracula wrote:Duck Tongue from "Original" Triple Crown. (The one on 22nd PL)

I hope that once you get over the trauma, you won't let this incident dissuade you from trying them again. I've had duck tongues at a few places around town and they've always been at least very good. In fact, I had them once at Publican and they were nothing short of spectacular there. Give them another shot at a place you already like (and trust) and you'll probably have a very different reaction.

=R=

Enchidlada Suizas at VIPS in Zacatecas, MX

exvaxman wrote:The ribs did not "fall off the bone".
It was hard to taste anything but the salt. However, if you remember "open pit BBQ sauce" that was what the flavor was like, with tons of extra salt.

No qualms with the review of the ribs, I'm sorry you had to go through that. But just wanted to give props to Open Pit sauce. I like to think I know my way around bbq and and when I have no homemade sauce I do turn to Open Pit and quite like it.

MKL wrote:

exvaxman wrote:The ribs did not "fall off the bone".
It was hard to taste anything but the salt. However, if you remember "open pit BBQ sauce" that was what the flavor was like, with tons of extra salt.

No qualms with the review of the ribs, I'm sorry you had to go through that. But just wanted to give props to Open Pit sauce. I like to think I know my way around bbq and and when I have no homemade sauce I do turn to Open Pit and quite like it.

Equal parts Open Pit and Sweet Baby Ray's (or Cattleman's) is what my dad always used. I'm kind of fond of it myself.

I'm pretty sure that towards the end of Low and Slow, Gary says that despite all of his pressing the reader to make their own sauces and marinades that he still always keeps a bottle of Open Pit in his fridge. He said it's what he grew up on so it's still acceptable to him. Pretty sure it was Open Pit...

BR wrote:

exvaxman wrote:Boston Market's ribs. The wife just brought some of the worst salt laden ribs I have ever tried in my life home as a "treat". Awful, just awful.

Funny, saw the ad for them and I thought it said they were actually smoked. Was there real smoke flavor? Were they fall-off-the-bone type? Probably not going to take a risk, but curious nonetheless.

Their TV ad clearly says that the ribs are "slow smoked."
From company publicity:
"CEO George Michel said Boston Market is the only national chain serving St. Louis-style ribs, making it stand out from competitors. "St. Louis style" ribs are pork spare ribs, which are juicier and meatier than the baby back ribs casual dining chains usually serve. Boston Market will prepare the ribs by smoking them, baking them and then covering them with its own brand of barbecue sauce."

Sorry, I did not mean to insult Open Pit. I happen to really enjoy the mesquite flavor. (Kinda hard to find in my area right now).
My comment was that the flavor was like Open Pit original with a huge amount of salt added.
So much salt that it was overpowering everything else. I could feel my kidney's shutting down.

Speaking of which, I was on the road today and tried the $4.99 KFC two piece boneless.
Now my wife and I knew Claudia Sanders, my wife due to her "bleeding ky blue" refuses any other fast food fried chicken, but this was another situation where the salt was overpowering.

Two items on KFC though. I used to program logistics software and any time chicken was involved, KFC had an exception that they got the freshest chicken. Last in first out for KFC and pending orders for other fast food chicken places were subordinated to KFC. On the other hand, when my kid was much younger and told me he disliked the KFC the wife brought home once in a while, we did a test. We bought Popeyes (mild and spicy), Church's mild and spicy, KFC original and crispy, local grocery chicken, and did a taste test with him, me, a neighbor kid I was looking after, and our two cats. Everyone involved (including the cats) liked Popeyes the best. In fact, the KFC samples left for the cats were totally ignored, while everything else presented to them in small samples was eaten. Needless to say, a sore point between the wife and I.

Sweet potato fries at Bob Chinn's, coated in so much cinnamon sugar that they tasted more like a sweet potato donut. One bite and I literally flung the rest of the fry across the table. Couldn't get it away from my mouth fast enough. Not at all what I'm looking for as a seafood side dish. Let's not even talk about that crappy garlic roll. Feh.

RAB wrote:Sweet potato fries at Bob Chinn's, coated in so much cinnamon sugar that they tasted more like a sweet potato donut. One bite and I literally flung the rest of the fry across the table. Couldn't get it away from my mouth fast enough. Not at all what I'm looking for as a seafood side dish. Let's not even talk about that crappy garlic roll. Feh.

I always thought Chinn's was about the Mai Tai. As I recall, enough of those and life is wonderful.

Everything (Kung Pao Chicken, Moo Goo Shrimp, BBQ Pork*) from Chinese Dragon in Park Ridge.

You know your Chinese takeout is bad when even the leftovers have no flavor. I really had to force my way through the shrimp, it was so bland. The rice was mushy. Mr. Pie had the chicken—he said it was the blandest he ever had with hardly any peanuts; it was completely devoid of kung or pow.

*The BBQ Pork wasn't bad, but I was really hoping for the crimson strips of meat soaked in sauce. This was more like roast pork with a glaze.

Pie Lady- Whenever you add an entry to the "Worst Thing You've Eaten Lately" thread, I always know that I need to sit up and take note.

Driving home from a delicious dinner at DeColores, I somehow felt a craving for a little sweet to top it off -- very specifically, for an Oreo. I stopped and bought a small box -- haven't eaten any in ages. Wow, they (I ate four) were so bad. Chemicals without any flavor. I enjoy junk food every now and then (more often than I might want to admit). But these were tasteless sugar, fat and artificial flavors. Kind of sad to report this. Were they always so bad, and I didn't notice?

I agree with you, they taste nothing like I remember as a child. Try the Who-Nu version - I buy them for my kids as they are supposedly more "nutritious". I think they taste way better than Oreos.
LO

Burger King's version of the McRib, two bites (just to make sure), toss in garbage.

Definitely ended one of the best eating experiences of my life (butter prawn, BBQ Stingray, Chicken Wings, Salted Egg Squid) with one of the most unforgettable. And I mean that in a negative way.

My first Durian.

Jalan Alor, KL, Malaysia. Smelled like landfill, tasted like sweet mango with a twist of Old Gyros and rounded out by warm booty juice. The burps alone....



on to Singapore!

cheffjeff wrote:My first Durian.

Jalan Alor, KL, Malaysia. Smelled like landfill, tasted like sweet mango with a twist of Old Gyros and rounded out by warm booty juice. The burps alone....

But did Lorenzo like it?

The crepe-type things that tasted like half-warmed batter at Next: Vegan.

disagree wrote:The crepe-type things that tasted like half-warmed batter at Next: Vegan.

I assume you mean the ones served as mignardises at the end? Our table of four really enjoyed them.

A slice of sausage and pepperoni pizza from Giordano's. Gummy, doughy, sickeningly sweet and just nasty all the way around.

=R=

BR wrote:

disagree wrote:The crepe-type things that tasted like half-warmed batter at Next: Vegan.

I assume you mean the ones served as mignardises at the end? Our table of four really enjoyed them.

I think so. Our table of four fell apart laughing.

Which, of course, is its own type of enjoyment.

Traveling down to the beach we stopped to eat dinner in Berea, KY. We took our chances with a Thai / Chinese place and Mrs. Vinny ordered Pad Thai.

Whatever we got, it wasn't Pad Thai as we know it. Runny, neither sweet nor sour flavors, no fish sauce, mushy, just blech, plus a ton of thinly shredded Napa cabbage mixed in. Sure, we weren't expecting a top-notch rendering, but man. Brutal.

I ordered a som tom with shrimp that came out looking like iceberg lettuce with a can of Bumble Bee tiny shrimp dumped on top and covered in Kraft Italian dressing.

Live and learn.

Uncle Julio's Hacienda in Lombard. Basically Taco Bell in homemade tortillas. Someone ordered fish tacos. Tilapia. The muddy version. Yuck. Even my yooper bro in law said ,"was that canned chicken in the enchiladas?" It wasn't, it was just the salty overboiled chicken breast style enchiladas that I'm not sure why so many Mexican places sling. Maybe a lot of ppl like them, I dunno. Anyway, if a yooper says your food is bad, you got issues. Server was an absolute joy, tho.

Uncle Julio's has been on my "really bad" list for a few years, and I gave it a few chances. I am amazed that it is still open. Nothing fresh about the place, the salsa tastes canned. The bartender was kind enough to explain to me how they cheat the customer on the amount of booze in the drinks! That was during my last visit.

seebee wrote:I dunno. Anyway, if a yooper says your food is bad, you got issues.

Ha! So true. My candidate is the chicken club sandwich at South Water Kitchen. Third really bad sandwich I've had in a row there (also stay away from the veggie burger and the turkey burger). Bacon over-cooked and leathery. Chicken ditto plus tasteless. Whatever else they put on it didn't compensate. I especially hate it because these are business lunches where I'm personally picking up the tab. Fries are still good, though.