Saturn Grill! Surprisingly… meh.

On Friday night the lovely Jen and I headed up to Oklahoma City to grab a bite to eat, and settled on Saturn Grill. I got the Seared Caribbean Jerk Chicken Sandwich, and Jen got the Portabella Mushroom Sandwich.

Caribbean Jerk Chicken Sandwich

Portabella Mushroom Sandwich

I’ll cover what I feel they did right first. The portion sizes were about perfect, and the flat bread was a nice touch. I hate hate hate sandwiches that have too much bread (I’m looking at you, Cafe Plaid). The pickles on the side were scrumptious with a nice balance of sweet and spicy, though doubtfully a product of the restaurant.

While both were perfectly acceptable, they both had the vibe of having been delivered by Sysco, the proteins pre-cooked, and reheated in a microwave. The sauce in the Chicken Sandwich was Curry-lime mayo, which was definitely the highlight of this meal. The flavor was delici0us, and had the other ingredients had any flavor, I’m sure this would have complimented them well.They both could have used a little more salt as well. The side on both was potato salad, which was VERY full of overcooked potatoes and mayonnaise and only a few notches above what I would expect from the deli case at Homeland.

The deal-breaker for this experience for me was the environment. With it’s bright, primary colors and TV-screen menus it had all the kitsch of a McDonalds, and with the rope lights and housewares screwed to the wall it had all the finishing details of a 13-year-old’s bedroom. And it wasn’t very clean. There were cobwebs 5 feet from where I was eating and scuff marks on all of the fixtures.

All that being said, it still wasn’t terrible. It was just… meh. I feel like this is a common theme in restaurants, grocery stores, and to overstep my bounds, a lot of culture in this state. Because very few are doing outstanding things, nobody expects outstanding things. Because nobody expects them, mediocrity prevails.

This blog thing is harder than I thought.

Sooo… I’m discovering that writing about food is harder than I thought. Not enough time, and too many mediocre meals.
I can do this though. I leave you with this loaf of bread I made as a promise of good things to come. Since there’s a going-away pot luck for John on Monday, I imagine I’ll have plenty of fodder for this.

IN YOUR FACE FARRELL "ORGANIC" BREAD

Manchego, Arugula, and Spicy Greek Olive salad

Manchego, spicy olive, apple, and arugula salad

I was planning today’s specials at work, and stumbled upon this combo that I’m rather enamored with. It tastes light, and the sweet and the spicy are nicely in balance. I got all of the ingredients for this at Forward Foods, but with the exception of the cheese and olives I’m sure most of this stuff is at the regular supermarket. To make this, toss the following in a big ol’ bowl:

two good handfuls of arugula
a chunk of Manchego cheese, shaved
10 or so Greek olives marinated with crushed chilies
a splash of vinaigrette, or a little olive oil and white or golden balsamic vinegar
half of an apple, sliced
about a tablespoon of honey

If you’re not familiar with arugula, it’s a green that is similar to baby spinach, but has a nice peppery bite to it that can’t be denied. The peppery essence  of the arugula with the spiciness of the olives and the sweetness of the honey and apple all compliment each other nicely, with the firm texture and the nutty flavor of the Manchego peeking out to say hello. The total cost of the ingredients is definitely on the less expensive end of the spectrum, but the fanciness quotient is fairly high. This is how it makes Jen’s face look:

I’m adding this to the roster for sure.

Welcome

Hello there. My name is Tanner, and I love food. I love eating it, I love making it, I love thinking about it, and I love to talk about it. With that in mind, I’ve started this blog as a way to talk to you about food. I plan to do at least 2 posts a week, the first being a new recipe and the second being a review of a meal made by someone else, be that a restaurant or a friend.

As I’m sure you may be able to relate, finding good food in this state can be a tough one. When I say “good”, I don’t necessarily mean fancy or high-priced. The qualities that make food “good” transcend price tags. Good food is food that comes from the heart.

I want food that is new and exciting while staying true to its roots. I want exotic meats, cheeses, vegetables and spices next to my fried chicken, mashed potatoes, pinto beans and okra.

Most of all, I want to be excited about and by food, and to talk with you about it. By all means, let me know about your favorites, and what you think of mine. Alright, first post down, more soon. Goodbye for now.