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.