Day 65 - Sal's Pizzeria

Today's attendees: Allen, Reg and Andrew. Questo era il pranzo finale. È fatto.

Day 64 - Two Guys Grille

Today's attendees: Sol, Matthew, Reg and Andrew. About 2/5ths as good as Five Guys.

Day 63 - Cool Runnings

Today's attendees: Matthew, Andrew, Reg and Bret. Yah mon.

Day 62 - The Dog House

Today's attendees: Brandon, Courtney, Andrew and Argiope bruennichi.

Day 61 - Goodberry's

Today's attendees: Andrew, Matthew and the Reg. Never before have 6 hot dogs taken so long to be prepared.

Day 60 - Havana Grill

Today's attendees: Allen, Andrew, Matthew, Bret, the Reg.

Day 59 - Sarah’s Empanadas

Today's attendees: Andrew, Matthew, Bret and Sol. Back roads to and from.

Day 58 - Cook Out (crossroads)

Double Drive thru delicious!
No dining room of course, but when the adjoining apartment complex provides a gazebo within a short walk, that's no issue at all.
Today, in an effort to avoid talking about money, the discussion at lunch fell largely on the food itself. Bret, an ardent supporter of chargrill, espoused the virtues of that institution while I along with Sol stood by Cook Out as the best fast food burger available.
There was speculation about the meat/bun/cheese ratios, and that 1/2lb upset that delecate balance. Certainly Brandon was convinced, and we all agreed, that w/o cheese his burger was inadequate.
Matthew and Brandon went with the filling and delicious corndog side. Bret, who frowns (and gags perhaps) at any wood in his mouth, unfortunately passed. A stickless corndog was proposed for all of those with this unfortunate aversion.
Shakes were enjoyed by many, though no one dared try the HiC punch.
Cook Out stands as a favorite somewhat-out-o-the-way friday lunch.
In attendance: Bret,Mike,Sol,Brandon, Matthew

Day 57 - Piper's

Today's attendees: Andrew, Matt, Sol, Reg, Brandon and Bret.

An old friend that we rarely visit. I was surprised that the staff there still remembered us even though we probably haven't been there in well over a year. We were pleased to note that prices seem to have remained mostly unchanged while the food was just good as we remembered it.

Mike was in an eatin mood and rocked a meatball sub AND a bread bowl of soup. Impressive. Sol wnet with the classic salad with chicken which held up to memory and Matthew was extremely pleased with the simple but delicious egg salad. Brandon came up short with his roast beef. Something to avoid there apparently.
Can't remember what Andrew and Bret got.
Cookies are a must at pipers, and an number of us enjoyed a fresh baked choco chip cookie before leaving.

Day 56 - Waffle House

Today's attendees: Andrew, Matt and Bret. Smothered and covered.

It's waffle house. Matthew made the mistake of going burger, which wasn't awful, but not in any way worth the money. Bret and Andrew loved their breakfasts. Matthew was jealous of Bret's waffle (what else is new).

Day 55 - Rub's/Smokey's

Today's attendees: Sol, Allen, Bret, Reg, Andrew, Brandon and Courtney.

Day 54 - Danny's Barbeque

Today's attendees: Mike, Bret and Andrew. "Holy s#@t. I want a hot pocket!"

Day 53 - Baba Grill

Day 52 - Dairy Queen

Day 51 - A Slice of NY

Day 50 - Abbey Road

Day 49 - Georgina's

Today's attendees: Resnick, Matt and Andrew

This place is great. Perfect for a cool, wet early fall day. Free garlic knots- and no they aren't awesome, but it's the gesture that counts. Standard 2 slice special, really great calzones, and I think Reg got a stromboli. All thumbs up. AND they didn't charge us for drinks!
Though it is a little more expensive b/c of table service it should definitely be in the standard rotation.

Day 48 - Dakota Grill

Today's attendees: Matt, Reg and Andrew

A bit pricey, but good burgers and a TV with sports at every table. Mike attempted to order venison, which they were out of, but was able to get buffalo. The fry toppings proved to be somewhat impotent, adding very little to the overall experience. Andrew, due to some sort of diet, got a buffalo chicken sandwich that did not satisfy him. There were adverts for very cheap beer. maybe a good call for ACC tourney.

Day 47 - Hilton Garden Inn

Today's attendees: Sol, Andrew, Reg, Brandon and Jennie. The technical name of this restaurant is The Great American Grill.

Day 46 - Schlotzsky's

Today's attendees: Bret, Matt, Courtney and Andrew.

Felt like I had swallowed a greasy brick.

Day 45 - Panera

Today's attendees: Andrew, Matt, Reg and Courtney. The weather was cold today so we decided to hit a place that had soups. Panera fit the bill, which is somewhat unusual as over the years, we've become un-enamored (don't think that's a word) with this favorite hangout of tennis-playing Cary moms. Frankly, it's a little pricey and doesn't always impress.

But soup did hit the spot. Andrew had the summer corn chowder in a bread bowl. Not really sure what makes it "summer" as it seemed very much like every other corn chowder that I've ever had. Courtney didn't think her sandwich was chicken even though that's what she ordered. Matt even tasted it and definitively declared, that's turkey.

I believe Matt had a half and half, which is a half sandwich and small bowl of soup. A bean based soup, if memory serves me right. Reg had soup in a bread bowl and a half sandwich. There was a lot of conversation about bread bowls. They also forgot to make Andrew's meal and he had to go up to the front to inquire about it.

No one would be upset if we only went here on cold, rainy days.

Day 44 - Jersey Mikes

Attendees: Matt, Allen, Sol, Reg, Courtney, Bret

Rosemary Parmesan bread in effect!
This place hurts teh wallet, but as far as the chain cold sub places go, i think it's the clear winner. Allen and Matthew kept it cheap and split the giant italian. who cares whateveryone else got.

Day 43 - Fujisan

Today's attendees: Andrew, Sol, Reg, Brandon, Bret, Schultz, Jaydeep, Dalvir, Allen.

This was a fantastic call and very entertaining. It was Dalvir's last day in town, and we had a big crowd, so our choices were limited. Here were the highlights:

1. Dalvir, who doesn't eat beef, watched in horror as they cooked the chicken and veggies right next to the ribeye's on the flat top grill.
2. Dalvir, who doesn't eat seafood and can't even stand the smell, sat next to Allen, who ordered a big plate of sashimi.
3. Dalvir, who wasn't celebrating a birthday, celebrated a fake birthday. We told the waitress it was his birthday after seeing the birthday singing and music that takes place at Fujisan. We got an entire cake delivered to our table for the "occasion".
   

Day 42 - Hooters

Today's attendees: Bret, Brandon, The Reg and Andrew.

We went to Hooters in honor of Dalvir who was in town from India. The last time he was here, we took him to Hooters to get a real taste of Americana. Although he wasn't with us this time in body, he was in spirit, or something like that.

Andrew and Brandon split 30 hot wings (20 breaded, 10 naked), Bret got the chicken philly, and The Reg got some kind of special order chicken sandwich (surprised?). We contemplated what kind of souvenir to get for Dalvir, and the Hooters Mousepad was the clear winner. In the end, though, we couldn't pull the trigger.

Until next time...

Day 41 - Mickey D's

Today's attendees: Brandon, Andrew and Bret. McRib is back! This was truly the highlight of the lunch. Bret's mouth watered and he had to do it. Oh, and he had to do two double cheeseburgers and fries, too. Brandon, not feeling well, went with a grilled chicken sandwich. I've got to give him credit. If I wasn't feeling well, it wouldn't matter. I don't know if I could go into Mickey D's and not get my regular Big Mac.

Bret - you might want to peruse this page and find yourself the perfect McRib ringtone. I found this when I discovered the ever so popular McRib.com. Who knew that there was so much music associated with a quasi-popular sandwich? And did you know that there's also Filet-o-Fish site? I love the floating sandwiches...

All Star Break

Now that we're 40 days into our grand experiment (which has been extended to 65 days) we decided to take a break. The idea came to us right around the time of Major League Baseball's All Star Break, so we co-opted the name. During this break, we decided we could go wherever we wanted.

The 5 days are now complete. We visited Andy's, Randy's, Salsa Fresh, El Dorado and Baba Ghanouj.

Two new links were posted to the right. One is a must see. It's the Wheel of Lunch. Reg - I can't believe you haven't come up with something like this yet. I know we've got room on prod for an app like that.

Day 40 - Burger King

Day 39 - Sol Azteca

Today's attendees: Bret, Reg, Brandon, Sol and Andrew. This Mexican joint is hated by Matthew, so since he was out today, we decided to hit it. Overall consensus: bland. The food isn't that tasty, even if it's not necessarily bad. There was just very little extra flavor.

A few things stood out on our visit. First was the hairnet the lady that delivered the chips and salsa wore. This says something about a place. Not sure exactly what, but, it definitely says something. Did you know you can buy 144 hairnets for just under 300 bones? Me either.

Next standout was the very odd placement of the restroom sign. It was on a wall at some distance from the actual water closets. Clearly it was meant to be seen from across the restaurant to give someone a gist of the general direction. However, when you were sitting near the sign, it looked very odd.

Finally, the death knell for our chances of returning to Sol Azteca: Hunt's. Honestly, what kind of self-respecting MEXICAN restaurant puts friggin' Hunt's on the table? It's bad enough that they put ketchup on display. Wouldn't salsa or Cholula or some other hot sauce be more appropriate? And, if you're going to put catsup out there, is there really any choice? The Ol' Heinz Cinco Siete is the way to go.

Day 38 - Char-Grill

Today's attendance was sparse. Bret and Andrew went to Andrew's house to inspect a leaky roof (yeah, it sucks) and then hit the Char-Grill down the block.

More info and opinions to come...

Day 37 - Cheap Chinese (Eastern China)

Behold the glory of the $4.25 pound of Gereral Tso. unbelievable bargain, unbelievable flavor. It's a challenge to even finish the portion. And Andrew never gets tired of of ostentatiously ordering them in multiples for all of us, even if our old buddy who worked the counter has moved on to greener pastures. If this place invested in some climate control it would be top notch. Penchuk can attest to the power of the dinner portions, which are almost legendary.

Day 36 - Rudinos

Today's attendees: Andrew, Reg, Bret and Matthew. Pizza-fest today. The draw of the pizza buffet brought us to this large, factory style pizza place. They crank out the pies like they're going out of style. I've always been partial to their "fey-ta", tomato and spinach.

Here's the thing about Rudino's. Going there instantly opens the debate about which buffet is the best deal for quality, quantity and cost. Of course, the inevitable debate is whether you prefer Cici's? The only other pizza buffet we've hit was Michelangelo's and it would be safe to say that no one will pick that place over the other choices. Are there any other pizza buffets that we can add to the list?

Another derivative debate is whether Randy's (quality) is a better deal than Rudino's (quantity). In the humble opinion of the writer, each has its place. It's a matter of what you're in the mood for that day.

Note: image isn't actually Rudino's but rather a generic pizza buffet.

Day 35 - East Coast Wings

Today's attendees: Brandon and Andrew. This was a nothing more than a pig out. Brandon and Andrew ordered a bunch of wings and potato chips. We chatted about his time in India, the stupidity of rhythmic gymnastics and life in general.

As for East Coast Wings, it is what it is. It's a wing joint. It's not the best, it's not the worst.

Day 34 - Crosswinds Cafe

Today's attendees included Shire, Brandon, Matthew, Sol, Bret, Reg and Andrew. Now some meals are mundane. Quiznos, for example. Other meals are leaps of faith. Say Morrisville Cafe. Others are just ridiculous. I don't know, maybe CiCi's. But, once in a while there is a meal that just stands out in so many ways. The Crosswinds Cafe was that kind of meal.

All credit goes to Schultz who downplayed it but said that it was a nice place to "watch some planes".

The adventure began with concern over parking. Of course, this is the airport, so we weren't sure where to park. The last thing we want to do is pay for parking just to go to lunch. It's not like this is NYC. After deliberations and frankly, none of us really reading the sign correctly, we found out that parking was free for the first 4 hours. Now, our lunches have, on occasion, exceeded 60 minutes, but we've never even come close to 4 hours. The trip from the lot to the restaurant crosses the world's smallest smoking area. It seemed to be about 2 feet by 1 1/2 feet. Not a problem as none of us smoke. Kids, smoking kills.

So we enter the General Aviation Terminal and it's basically a large room with windows facing out onto the smaller plane area of the tarmac. There's an open space (the picture to the right shows tables there, not the open space) with a stairway heading up the left hand side of the room. We chatted amiably with the security lady sitting at the desk and inquired where the cafe was. She informed us that it was upstairs. We asked her to have our plane ready for after lunch. Ha, ha. Never heard that one before. Well, she didn't actually say that, but you know she was thinking, what a-holes (or at least the tall, loud one with the faint New Jersey accent).

Once upstairs, we encountered a small counter. The lady behind the counter, whose name escapes me (although Alice sounds plausible) was incredibly kind. She not only answered our questions with informative recommendations, but also bantered with us (always a hit when Matt's in the audience). Alice, if that was her name, was the ultimate hostess and was certainly a large part of our enjoyable experience. She gave us the inside scoop as to who's been seen at the terminal (Barack, Hillary, Arnold Palmer, Kenny Rogers!!!) She also unnecessarily delivered our food since it's not a table service kind of place.

The scenery was great. You've got a beautiful view of the private plane area with Cessnas, rental planes and private jets waiting for the upper crust of society. We witnessed one family arrive on their plane (we assumed it was theirs), take out their luggage and golf clubs, and hop into a waiting rental car. Their was a father, mother and a younger man and woman. The discussion centered around whether or not the attractive blonde woman was the daughter, daughter-in-law or girlfriend. Was their any romance there or were the younger two brother and sister. Unfortunately, we never got an answer.

I, for one, will be bringing my kids here for a lunch (they'll go nuts) and hope to attend a private party here at some point in the future.

This place is highly recommended.

Day 33 - El Do (The real deal)

El Do is a special place. It is a place of good food (Burritos Rancheros); good friends (coworkers?); and good times (hmmm. . .not really).

The call was made to treat Brandon to El Do upon his return to the United States. Everyone pretty much stuck with their standard orders. The salsa was spicy but delicious. Being half way done with the "40 in 40 +" El Do will be sorely missed. I love you El Do!

Day 32 - Yo Quiero Taco Bell!

Today's attendees: Bret, Shire and Andrew. This all started with Bret and Andrew just yapping about Mexican food, in particular, the Chori Pollo burrito at Los Bennigans (friggin' fantastic!!!). Somehow, the topic moved to the Border. We lamented that the prices have gone up over the years and it's no longer the bargain that it once was. We discussed the pros and cons of the various menu items. We covered it all. Mexi-Melts, Chalupas, Mexican Pizzas, 7-Layer Burritos, Cinnamon Twists. However, it was agreed, The Bell was still a favorite.

Suddenly, Taco Bell was on the table. Reg asked what we were talking about. Taco Bell, Reg. Yeah, I'm out. We laughed and didn't really decide on anything.

Andrew walked back to his desk and by the time he got there, an IM from Bret was waiting. We're doing Taco Bell. Bret was feeling it. Courtney then asked, are you guys going to lunch? Why, yes, we are. Where? Taco Bell. Guess what? Courtney quiero Taco Bell (yeah, I know that's not grammatically correct Spanish...).

So, we went. We had to stop at Lowe's to look for a rosemary plant. After finding small quart size ones, Courtney spotted some bigger ones. Then, off to the new Taco Bell/KFC combo. Andrew had some sadness that we weren't hitting the classic crazy themed location on Airport. Once there, we bantered with the cashier. Matt, you would have been proud. Discussion at the table revolved around what were the 7 layers in the 7-Layer Burrito. Here are the actual ingredients.

1. Rice
2. Beans
3. Sour cream
4. Lettuce
5. Tomatoes
6. Cheese
7. Guacamole

Bret thought that the last layer was the tortilla, but apparently, guac wasn't visible in the burrito. Did you know that nothing says Lent like the 7-L B.

Reg - did you hit Randy's without us?

Day 31 - Neomonde

Today's attendees: Andrew, Bret, Matthew, Allen and the Reg. Neomonde is one of those restaurants that consistently serves good, quality food. Everyone in the group always has a good meal. Yet, I doubt that it's ever going to be a favorite of anyone's. Why is that? Not really sure. Perhaps it's that the place has no ambiance. It's just sort of there. It's got that whole bakery thing happening, but I don't know anyone that ever goes there FOR the bakery.

Now Matthew did order a pistachio pastry something or other (which makes me think that perhaps Goodberry's should be coming up soon...) and did enjoy it. Bret tried falafel for the first time and liked it. Reg had the chicken shawarma and raved about it.

One interesting note is that one of the power brokers of Raleigh, Greg Hatem, was having lunch with the Neomonde owners. Matthew recognized the guy and was wondering what was happening. Andrew's abilities to listen to the conversation at the table behind him meant there was no new info about downtown to be gleaned. Of course, the secret was already out.

Day 30 - Firehouse Subs

Today's attendees were Allen, Bret, Reg and Shire. Today's lunch was enjoyable (except for Reg...read his comment below). It's been so long since we went, frankly, I have no idea what we discussed. I remember searching for a certain kind of hot sauce for my Steamer sandwich but couldn't find it. I was looking for Cholula, but couldn't remember the name of it. Age is quickly taking a toll on my, uh, what's that word? Oh yeah, memory.

Once again, Allen did not sit next to Bret.

The decision to eat at Firehouse was swayed by the potential for pattern due to the tanning parlor next door. Unfortunately, it was a non-event.

Day 29 - Original Brick Pizza

This place was so forgettable we can't even remember the name. I wanted some pizza but we had already burned Randy's. I remembered reading about this place in last week's N&O so I looked it up and Bret, Andrew and I headed over.

I will sum it up with a phrase an old friend of mine use to always say, "Pizza is like sex. When it is great it is fantastic. When it is not so great it is still pretty good." This place falls into the latter category.

Day 28 - Arby's

Today's attendees were Andrew, The Reg and special guests, Parsley and Chris Barry. What's to write about Arby's? Just about everyone knows all about it. Roast beef of questionable quality. Cheese that more than likely comes from a can and is squirted onto that questionable roast beef. Curly fries. Hard to criticize curly fries. Horsey sauce. Sounds disgusting, but is oh, so, good.

The big draw to Arby's is the special 5 for $5.95 deal. The combinations are seemingly endless. Two roast beef and cheddars, one mozzarella sticks, one curly fries, one drink. Or perhaps you're more of a three roast beef and cheddar, one drink and one apple turnover kind of guy. If you're Matt (and you were able to go that day...damn WP server...), you'd have substituted the jamocha shake.

Today was a day to catch up with old friends. Parsley is Parsley. He's still making friends with the local law enforcement and bringing his own unique perspective on the way things are. Chris has changed jobs (although still with BB&T) and is halfway through a home brick pizza oven (I believe this is what he's building).

Got to say, production problems at work have put a real damper on lunch.

Day Off

Production issues again. Not only are clients negatively affected, but lunch is suffering too...

Day 27 - Yum Yum

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Day 27 - El Do (under Protest)

This lunch WAS under protest.

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UPDATE: This post was a COMPLETE fabrication. We never went to El Do, we never ate burritos rancheros, we never had any beers. What we did do was play a practical joke on our good friend, Mr. Gregory. Bret, El Do is still on the list. Day 27 will be repeated... :o)

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Attendees: Sol and Andrew. Today was a small day since most everyone was either away or working from home. Both of us were craving Mexican and decided that El Do was in order.

We walked in to a mostly empty restaurant and decided to change things up a little by sitting at the bar. There we enjoyed not only a full, fresh basket of right out of the oven nacho chips and two orders of burritos rancheros, but also two frosty Negra Modelos. Hey, it's Friday.

Conversation ranged from politics (we can't help ourselves) to the overflow of tomatoes growing in Sol and Sandy's garden. We also got to watch ESPN Deportes on the flat screen. You can't beat a little Sportscentro.

Day Off

Today was a bad day at the office. Right around 11:30AM, problems popped up on production. They continued right through 1:30PM. Andrew and Sol stayed at the office. Bret was tending to his dog's ACL surgery. Reg grabbed something, probably a sandwich, maybe he snuck in a visit to Randy's. Matt and Allen were out of the office. 40 in 40 continues tomorrow. Brandon - you just got an extra day of participation.

Day 26 - Los Champions

Today's attendees: Andrew, Sol, Resnick and Allen. Things started off badly when we ventured to Los Champions (which is actually the oddly named Champions Bars and More). There's only one bar, so that "s" is a little confusing. We went in because the group was feeling Mexican. Los Champions has the most authentic tacos around. In the past, they've been double small corn tortillas with large chunks of onion, cilantro, radishes, limes on the side, and more. With a spicy red sauce drizzled on your choice of chicken, beef, BBQ pork or pork, you're looking at a truly tasty lunch. And that's exactly what we had in mind.

We saddle up to our table (not the "bars") and crack open the menu. What the...? This menu is different. Where are the tacos? This looks like typical bar food, mozzarella sticks, burgers, nachos. This can't be happening. The waitress comes over and we ask, do you still have the tacos? Why yes. We can still do that. Sol said it best. "Ordering off menu is huge." They brought the same homemade tortilla chips with one of the best, most unique salsas around.

Allen, Sol and Andrew all order the exact same dish: 4 tacos with pork. Reg, somewhat expectedly, charts his own course. As usual, I have no idea what he ordered, but I do know it was different. He doesn't like to run with the crowd, that Resnick. Oh, yeah, "It's variety, bitch." The meal comes and it's not exactly what it was previously. Sol thinks the pork was marinated or something and this time, it doesn't seem to be.

In the end, it was a solid meal with excellent flavor.

Day 25 - CiCi's Pizza

Today's attendees: Shire, Bret, Reg and Andrew. It goes without saying that Andrew and Bret were very excited about this meal. Anticipation was building. How many slices would Bret eat? Double digits was a given. Would he be closer to 10 or 20? How many slices of buffalo chicken pizza would Andrew put away? Would our inner Joey Chestnut come to the surface? Would lunch return to the surface in a reversal of fortune?

The answers to those questions were answered. Frankly, I don't remember what those answers were. Except for Joey. Yes, we all channeled the American hero.

Last time we visited, we heard "CiCi you later" whenever a customer left the facility. Today we were treated to a few more choice phrases. "What time is it? It's deep dish time." An instant classic. And who could forget this gem: "Knick knack paddywhack. Time for veggie snack." Add these lame jingles to the truly depressing atmosphere of the run down basement location and it all adds up to unbelievably great cheap pizza.

Today was a fun lunch. Besides joking with one employee who said she didn't know the chants and that "they make us do them", we had excellent banter. We talked about nooners, the two attractive and skinny women who were enjoying their lunch there (and going back multiple times) and a random, out of the blue comment from the Reg, "Cottage cheese". The rest of us were rather perplexed. Andrew waited a few seconds and then retorted "Pumpernickel".

At one point we were comparing how much had been eaten and Bret was at 12 or 13. Andrew wasn't sure how many he had put down when Courtney taunted, "Your slice count sucks."

Lunch was finished with a quick trip to Lowe's so Bret could get a couple screws. Courtney had an insane accuracy of where they would be (1/3 down the aisle as soon as you walk in), how you could buy them (they'll be in a bag) and where on the wall they would be (near the top).

Day 24 - Morrisville Cafe

Today's attendees were D'Oregano, Solo, Skellars, Gregory and Chuk. What is there to say about Morrisville Cafe? I wasn't quite sure what to write, so I did a search for their website. I swear I think I heard Google's servers laughing when I hit enter. As if I had to tell you, they don't have one. A few interesting things were found in the results, however. My favorite was this description from a page titled, "Raleigh Area Restaurants Trapped in Time":

A cinderblock bunker next to the railroad tracks, happy to fry up a lunch for you and sell you a tall-boy Budweiser too. There are also videogames and pool tables to take your mind off of your Research Triangle job.

Now, I didn't see beer, but I did see beer signs. Also, the videogames and pool tables must be gone or they're covered in old Elvis plates and authentic 70's sweaters for sale. One interesting note about the signs. We noticed that despite this place being really old (really old) the NASCAR signs were all from 2008. The ambiance is exhilarating.

On to the food. We all had burgers. Allen tried to order a pork chop sandwich. It wasn't defrosted. So he tried the BBQ. Same story. He relented and went burger. They arrive on a plate just a smidgen bigger than the burger itself which is about as basic as it gets. Oh, and the fries, they come AFTER the burger. Everything is delivered serially. The food isn't bad (Reg would disagree) but it's just, well, normal and plain. And frankly, it's not good, either. There's nothing special or unique about it.

Something to note is that the sweet, older lady that has been the short order cook the last few times we were there, was absent. Her husband, we assumed, doesn't have the charm that she did. There was one improvement. No longer did they have the voluntary "tip jar" which was funding their paint the bunker project. And for the record, if they painted it, we didn't notice.

This last item didn't come at the bunker but on the way back to the office. Frankly, the specifics of what we were talking about at the time completely escapes me. It doesn't matter. It's what came out of the Reg's mouth. He got kind of uppity and aggressive when he said, and I quote, "It's variety, bitch. Try it some time."

Day 23 - Tarascos

Seeing as how I was driving I got to pick today's lunch. I was feeling adventurous and decided to take Courtney, Matt and Bret to Tarascos. Being a fan of their rotisserie chicken, Sol backed me up and off we went. Located in the nicest of three or perhaps 6 ugly commercial strips at the intersection of SE Maynard and Chatham I first heard about this place in some local paper. (The review has been sitting in my car for so long the paper is now oily and practically transparent.) Sol naturally went for the chicken with a taco side. The side of beans for this meal are fantastic and loaded with pieces of hotdog. Matt doubled down on the pollo with a taco and a sopes. I went for one plain sopes, two pork based tacos (Pastor and Carnitas) and one beef (Al Carbon).
There must have been an error in translation because I ended up with an extra taco. Nothing wrong with that. The crown goes to Bret and Courtney who shared the most amazingly large meal I have seen during this eat-a-thon. First came the fajita quesadilla which was probably about 15 inches in diameter.

Then came the cuban torta. Ah Caramba! Sausage, Pork, Ham and...wait for it it....Hotdogs!

All on a roll with lettuce, queso de crema, onion and avocado. Fantastic!! The translated menu describes the ingredients as being "Sausage, Pork Cheese, White Sheese, Ham, Chorizo, Mayo, Lettuce, onions, tomate, avacado & jalapeno pepper". The Spaniards would take great offense in the dog being labeled chorizo but who could be upset with white sheese? Look at this kid pack it in.

Bret was so fired up he can't wait to experience their other delights. When that happens I certainly will be sitting beside him.

Day 22 - Quizno's

Today's attendees were Courtney, Reg, Sol and Andrew. We went here because the Reg was hounding us for a sandwich place. Never mind that he could have gotten a sandwich at EVERY place we'd gone for the previous week or so. But, we'll put that aside.

We also went because of their new $5 sandwich deal. Let's be frank. Subway and their catchy "$5 foot loooong" jingle is leading the way here, marketing wise, at least. Quizno's response was a rather lame, we'll come up with our own $5 sandwich. I mean really. Is that all you got, Quizno's? Although, their version has a "5 Meat Stack" sandwich. Everyone together now... OOOOOHHHH!!!

Courtney and Andrew both had the 5 Meat sandwich. I'd try to describe it, but the crack marketing department at Quizno's has already done that for us:

An abundant blend of oven-roasted turkey, honey-cured ham, Genoa salami, premium pepperoni, and spicy capicola topped with cheddar cheese and toasted to perfection on Quiznos artisan bread.

Toasted to perfection. Sounds delightful, no? Sol and the Reg both had sandwiches as well, but as usual, I have no idea what the Reg had. I believe Sol had turkey. Could be wrong, but turkey's a good guess.

Perhaps I've painted a negative picture of their marketing department, which isn't completely fair. The ad below is bold, to the point and makes a no bull argument against their nemesis, the venerated franchiser, Subway. Frankly, I like the ad, even if it's a little odd. I really like the guy's voice. Love how he says, "Subwaaaaayyy" and "more meat".

Day 21 - BoJangle's

Not in attendance: Allen. In attendance: Andrew, Reg, Matt, Bret and Sol.

What's to say about BoJ's? Let me quote the Dalai Lama:

“I believe that the very purpose of life is to be happy. From the very core of our being, we desire contentment. In my own limited experience I have found that the more we care for the happiness of others, the greater is our own sense of well-being."

Now, he may not have been talking about the fine employees at our local Bojangles, but it wouldn't surprise me if he was. They truly care about our happiness. Their breaded and deep-fried 3-piece white, biscuit, fries and free ice tea brings such joy and bliss to patrons, it must bring them a greater sense of well-being and a job well done.

Lunch was, as usual, fantastic. Of course, that's just the opinion of a few of the lunch crowd. Others downplay its fantasticness. They deride it as just "fast food". They, unfortunately, are somewhat misguided. Its about so much more. It's about contentment. It's about perfect harmony with nature. It's about amazing seasoning for your thick cut fries. It's about a simple philosophy of "distinctive, flavorful chicken". It's about a 3-piece all white, biscuit, fries and a free ice tea weighing in at, and I'm not making this up, 90 grams of fat when the daily recommended intake is 65 grams per day.

Day 20 - Cafe Carolina

Today's attendees included Matt, the Reg and Andrew. The best way to sum up Cafe Carolina is this: it's an overpriced favorite of Cary moms and professional women.

Matt and Andrew each had the Hawaiian BBQ Pork flatbread (pulled pork, pineapple, bacon, roasted onions and bbq sauce on a crisp, grilled crust). It's so sweet that it approaches having dessert for lunch. The Reg had, um, er, well, I can't remember. He'll have to add it to the comments.



Conversation was rather typical for a visit to Cafe Soccer Mom. Pattern was heavily discussed between Matt and Andrew. The Reg stayed mysteriously quiet. We talked about some side work that Reg does for the Board of Education in Chicago. After that, I'm pretty sure we went back to discussing pattern.

Do check out this page on their site that has testimonials of "Cafe Life". The pictures are evidence of pattern (of course). The best testimonial for many reasons comes from Laura:

"I first ate at Cafe Carolina when my parents and I came to visit Meredith. The salads are great! I've told all the girls at school about it. I always take cupcakes back to the dorm – everyone loves them!"

Andrew did pick up lunch for Sol, who still owes him (as of Monday, August 4th).

Day 19 - Capi's

With all the problems we're having with production systems at the office, this was a late and very short lunch. So, the post will match. Allen, Bret and Andrew went to Capi's and each picked up a Capi's Special Italian (Bret had hot peppers). Andrew parked at a pump because it was in the shade, despite unnecessary comments from Allen like, "Northerner comes down here and thinks he owns the place". Capi's is a pale comparison to what it was during it's pre-dot com bust days. My sandwich was very good though.

Allen sat next to Andrew in the car, not next to Bret. No sitting was done at Capi's.

Day 18 - Remington Grill

Today's attendees were Bret, Allen, the Reg and Andrew. Bret had to pick up a wagon at Toys R Us so we took the slightly long drive to Crossroads. It's important to note Remy (as it's more familiarly known) was at one time in our standard rotation when the Morrisville site much closer to the office was still in business. It was the home of the "pre-fill" (a free refill of fries BEFORE food was ordered) and many a good lunch at the ginormous family style table. Other than Sol, who never really liked it, it was a go to spot for decent burgers or chicken sandwiches. Interestingly, the Crossroads site is the original Remy:

The original Remington Grill is located in the heart of Crossroads shopping center across from Toys 'R Us.

For Andrew, Bret and the Reg, the meal itself was fine. Completely normal. For Allen, he wasn't happy. After the meal, we were discussing the pros and cons. Allen leaned back and appeared as if he was going to opine with the air of a New York Times dining review. Thoughtfully he spoke. "I give this restaurant the finger." Maybe it was more NY Post or Daily News. He actually commented that he would have preferred to stay at the office and eat something there. Blasphemy.

Bret and Andrew had issues other than the meal. First, the powers that be at Remy moved the pico de gallo and the fry sauce behind the counter. It used to be on the salad bar. Now, the designated spot has a little sign directing diners to ask at the counter. We were told by the guy Bret thought was Mr. Remington, that both things stayed better behind the counter on ice. After reading that this was the original location, maybe he was right. Could he be the guy in the blue shirt? Then, the real downfall of this lunch spot came...

Bret went back for the fry refill and was informed that the bottomless fries were no longer bottomless. Only one refill is now allowed. Frankly, none of us need more than one refill, but there's a principle at stake here. The prefill will never happen again. Never again will we be able to meet Sol's challenge to have 3 servings each.

Overall, the impression was that Remy is in a downfall. Could be the economy is taking a toll. They've had locations that haven't worked out (I know they had a Fuquay-Varina site at one time, but that's not on their locations page). Perhaps the end is nigh for this franchise and/or location. However, hope springs eternal.

Day 17 - The Food Factory

Today was the second day in a row that the gang (today it was Jennie, Andrew, Reg and Matt) ventured out to something new. Jennie had been here before and remembered having a great french dip. That was enough to convince us to stray just a little farther than normal for lunch. The Food Factory is located in downtown Cary in a somewhat dumpy shopping center type area. That said, the place has some character.

Obviously owned by a former New Yorker (or New Yorkers), the walls have a nice custom mural, Hurricanes and Mets schwag, old copies of the NY Daily News, American flags and 9/11 tributes. Don't want to forget the caricatures of the Seinfeld gang including Newman in the background. The food is decent and was commented to be "similar to the Village Deli" (still on the list).

Cost wise, the FF is expensive. Andrew had a completely average reuben and a drink. $10.53. Ouch. The reuben wasn't that big and there was NOTHING else on the plate. Not even a lousy pickle. Jason's Deli (still on the list) completely dominates the Factory in the reuben arena. Matt commented that his egg salad was fine, but certainly didn't compare to Piper's (still on the list). Jennie was disappointed that they didn't have the aforementioned french dip and also had an egg salad on croissant. Reg opted for a sub and that seemed like the best call for the money.

We all noticed that the high school kid working there for the summer was kind of lazy in taking our order. We announced what we wanted and each time he asked us for the item number from the menu (e.g. P3). It seemed to us like he should have made just a little effort to learn the menu.

Re-reading this, it seems like we hated the place. I don't think that's the case, but rather, we expected more for the money.

Day 16 - Pho 9N9

Gonzaga 1999. George Mason 2006. Davidson 2008. That's what I think about Pho 9N9 when it comes to our lunch bracket. Only Allen had been here before and the rest of us, I believe, were a little unsure of what to expect. It was touted on the internal wiki as having great sandwiches for just $2.50.

Most of us were thrilled with our meals. Allen and Andrew split a pork sandwich (amazing...) and each had a variety of pho. Sol and Bret each had the special broken rice platter, while Reg had 2 sandwiches. Many of us raved about our meals. Everything had the smell of fresh basil and cilantro. Sol mentioned coming back on a cold day to have a big bowl of pho. Allen almost caught on fire after eating a few slices of jalepeno in his soup.

Then there was Matthew's experience. He didn't like his options. He toyed with the General (how could it compare to Cheap Chinese...still on the list by the way) but finally settled on a big ol' plate of fried rice. This simply wasn't his place.

Their website is interesting. While not quite Orient Garden's, the "newsflash" on this page was entertaining. For a more thorough review, check out their news page.

Day 15 - Torero's

Today's attendees were Jennie, Matt, Sol, Bret, Allen, Reg and Andrew. Torero's is basically like every other Mexican restaurant around. Each has their own something special, but essentially, they're all the same. Something that was noticed is that the owners of Mexican restaurants do an excellent job of taking over establishments that have gone belly up. Witness Day 3 - Los Bennigans.

The remnants of Newtons Southwest Grill (the unfortunate restaurant that is no longer) still exist. Whether it's the paintings on the wall, the metal N on the gate leading to the courtyard that appears to never be used or the ever so popular Texas shaped lavatory sinks, Torero's takes Newtons and ups the ante.

Interesting side note. When I searched for something to link "Texas shaped lavatory sinks" to, I found this page which inexplicably does NOT have sinks listed. However, this page about a group's trip includes an admirable sink pic, however, it was actually found in Texas, which just isn't as impressive. Another Texas shaped item that would be a great thing to have around the house is this Texas shaped waffle iron.

Back to Torero's... We were greeted by the lovely Claudia, who showed us to our table in the front room just through the bar. The tortilla chips were warm and delicately seasoned. Jennie wanted more salt, but no shaker on the table (perhaps we were searching for our lost shaker of salt?). We pounded our baskets and they brought more. Salsa was particularly good, as is typical for Torero's. Jennie and Andrew both ordered the Mexican Spinach Pizza, which although still good, was a magnitude smaller than it had been the last time we visited Claudia, probably over a year ago.

Overall, Torero's is always a good, solid meal. I encourage you to take the virtual tour, (although we didn't eat in that room).

Note to Brandon: no sighting of Slade Jackson or his deadly margaritas.

Day 14 - Randy's

Fun fact to start: if you go to triangle.citysearch.com, search for pizza, of the four 5-star rated pizzerias in the entire area, two of them are Randy's, one of them being this one (on Miami Blvd.). This place has fantastic NY-style pizza.
I started to write a serious two-paragraph explanation of why this pizza is so choice, but decided to scrap the whole thing for: if you like pizza and are around RTP for lunch and you have never been to this place, what's wrong with you?
Honorable mention should go out to the tasty garlic knots here as well, especially since you can order them in any amount. I hear the sandwiches are great too, but I won't be able to judge that unless I start going here every day. Hmm, that might happen.
The service is fairly prompt, and the folks behind the counter aren't the stiffs you get at some other places. Since they expanded this place to be 2x its original size finding seating with our group of 6 was not problematic. They now offer hot dogs too, which is uh, interesting. If only they were open on weekends...

Day 13 - Salsarita's

Welcome to Moe's. This place is exactly like Moe's with smaller portions and a bigger price tag. Having said that, I think the quality of the meat was slightly better and with slightly more choices. I believe several in the party (Penchuk, Shire, Matthew, Bret) partook in the pork.

I think this place was decent, but it was honestly more of a filler location because I was getting a nail pulled out of my tires at BJ's which is in the same shopping center.

Most of the conversation revolved around extending the 40/40 and also morphing it into a competition of sorts. I am sure there will be more on this topic in future posts.

Day 12 - NY Pizza

Today's lunch was attended by Matt, Resnick and Andrew. We were in the mood for pizza but didn't want to burn Randy's quite yet. Actually Resnick, not surprisingly did, but we opted for something else. Frankly, NY Pizza didn't live up to what Andrew once considered the best pizza around. No longer. The pizza just didn't have it. It was a little crispier than in years past and the sauce wasn't that good. This was disappointing.

They also have a rotating special that depends on the day of the week you partake. Thursdays happen to be Stromboli and a drink day for $5.95 (I believe). We all seemed to prefer Mondays (or was it Tuesdays) which is 2 pepperoni slices and a drink for the same price. Perhaps we're used to Randy's persistent specials (or are they just "value meals").

A must read from their website is this page that currently reads:

We do not have any current student discounts, but will be activating one soon. In the mean time, study hard and stop by for some brain food!

Bret opted out of lunch today as he had errands to run. Something about returning a belt and wanting to eat at the Outlet Mall again...

Day 11 - Baba Ghannouj

Attendees: Sol, Matt, Bret, Resnick and Andrew. Lunch was good, as always. Lots of discussion about Jose Canseco getting pummeled. Mood was certainly more upbeat than Moe's the day before.

Day 10 - Welcome to Moe's!

Moe's. . . there isn't much to be said about this play. Reg, Penchuk, Solo, and myself made the trip. The food was adequate. I was very tempted to go Chicken Fajita Burrito for the Queso, but in the end I couldn't pull the trigger and went with the standby, Home wrecker.

Conversation was pretty morbid. We talked about my health problems and that I joined the Gym. Penchuk's strained hip flexor most likely caused by soccer, and Brandon's dog Kobi who was taken to the emergency vet, which is where Sol spent the night before helping Jennie. We also briefly talked about movies, specifically the new Batman movie that is coming out at the end of the week.

Pattern was minimal, but it did make an appearance or 2.

Day 9 - Joe's NY Style Pizza

Matt, D'Oregano and Andrew attended. To put it mildly, we were underwhelmed. Joe's has adequate pizza, though certainly nothing to compare with Randy's. In fact, NY Pizza (over by Torero's) is far better. Personally, I'd argue that CiCi's is a much better value than Joe's. Matt did have manicotti and was pleased with it, although he commented that it was a little watered down from all the sauce. Price was similar: lunch special, two slices, one topping and a drink, $6.49, although the portions were significantly smaller than Randy's.

Ambiance at Joe's does not exist. There are two pictures on the wall where there could have been 10 pictures. The walls were a muted lime green reminscient of a sterile hospital. Matt also made the astute comment that the stacked pizza boxes closed off the kitchen area from the rest of the restaurant, making it seem less inviting. The tables are tight with slatted wood booths. There's more atmosphere on Neptune.

A real negative was the sign over the soda fountain read: Limit one refill p/ customer.

Resnick made the astute comment, "How are they going to enforce that?"

Topics of conversation included how we were going to get back to the car (it was a TOTAL downpour), the Viagra-like effects of watermelon, the one smoking-hot 35-year old customer that turned all of our heads, the New Yorker's cover of the Obamas and our complete lack of knowledge about offshore drilling's pros and cons. Oh, yeah, and Mike-o-pedia knew a lot about a special type of tower pizza made only in Chicago.

In finality, I think it could be safely said that this was the lowlight of our 40 in 40, thus far.

Day 8 - Salsa Fresh

Six of us made the trip with Ethan and Shire joining us. The food was on par with previous visits - tomatoes are back, seemed that everyone got their usual or something close to it. I decided to try something different, (went with a beef fajita) and though I do not regret my selection, I don't think I'll be ordering it again as it's not any better and more expensive than my usual (Cali burrito).
Conversation revolved around the crappy selection of movies in theatres, F.U. (someone else can fill in the details), Ethan's www.raleighforkedup.com and Allen's enthused music choice of oldies on the ride back in the People Mover(tm) "because there is nothing else on the radio".

Day 7 - Orient Garden

There is no picture online of the unbelievable mosaic wall, but we had lunch in front of it today. No matter what I write, I think Mix 101.5 says it best. Conversation today ranged from the change from "Oster-Katz" to "OsterKatz", the Fortress of Solitude and finding a solution to Bret's neighbor problem. Please peruse Orient Garden's menu at http://www.orientgardenrestaurant.com/.

Day 6 - Five Guys

Straight burgers and fries today. Myself, Allen, Brandon, Bret, and Shire all partook of some sizable chunks of ground beef. As a side note, the cajun style fries were disappointing, I will be sticking with standard Five Guys style in the future.

Day 5 - Outlet Mall Food Court

Is it one place or 4? I dunno. But either way we chowed on Steak Escape, Subway and the delicious but expensive Greek Fiesta. It was a grand sendoff from Brandon, who will monitor the progress of this little experiment via these very pages.

Conversation today revolved around the ghost town outlet mall, its lack of stores, eateries and ass.

Not sure what else we should be covering in these posts. I loved my food, particularity the p-stach baklava, but it set me back nearly 9 bones. ouch.

Day 4 - Andy's

Large crew today visited Andy's for lunch. It included Bret, Allen, Andrew, Sol, Brandon, Jennie, Courtney and Matt. Others need to add details. Unfortunately, I don't remember what was discussed today.

I can tell you that Andy's has made some vast improvements in the layout of their menu since we started visiting this burger joint.

Today is also the day that Sol proposed that we begin 40 in 40. The count was increased to accommodate Brandon's busy travel schedule.

Day 3 - Los Bennigan's

The real name of this place is Los Tres Magueyes...I think...


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Brandon, Andrew, Bret, Allen and Sol enjoyed a nice, if not smoky, Mexican meal. Andrew, as always, tried for extra queso. And, as always, he failed miserably. Sol told us about the sink that he carried home from Guatemala. Allen tried to get his customary Arnold Palmer. He, too, failed miserably.

Did you know that there is another Los Bennigan's in Danville, VA? Their menu page says to visit their Raleigh restaurant but the link doesn't work.

Day 2 - Amante's

The crew went to Amante's. Frankly, nothing sticks out about this meal except that Brandon got pegged as a sausage eater.

Day 1 - Sheetz (The Lake)

Little did we know that we were embarking on an adventure of epic proportions (30 on 30 was still a glimmer in our eyes) when we chose today (around 85 degrees) to visit Sheetz en route to Lake Crabtree. Resnick, Brandon, Andrew and Courtney picked up sandwiches. Andrew recommended double meat. Mid sandwich, Brandon agreed it was, and I quote, "a good call". Mike was very concerned that someone else had to pay for him because he forgot his wallet. We covered him, but let him sweat it for a while.


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We didn't get to sit at the customary table lakeside as it was covered with flying bugs. Not sure what they were but we had to eat sitting on a bench looking out over the water. Overall, it was a nice day. Not spectacular like other days at the lake, but a good day.