Sorry, I know it's been awhile, and I'm sure everyone's been going hungry waiting for me to tell them where to eat.
So, Mad Greek. I have to admit that I kind of judged it by it's name, and I thought it was going to be some cheap trendy kind of place. The sign outside of the location I went to () even says "Ze Best Greek". (That's at Mad Greek Too, and yes, it is a chain, though there's only 5 of them, so it's still just a local chain.) Though, maybe I should have realized they don't know how to be trendy since they made their slogan bigger than their name on the sign.
This is all beside the point. The food's what's important here.
Pastrami burger: 7
Tomato, shredded lettuce, and thick lean slices of pastrami. Not high on quantity like at Crown Burger, but the pastrami was leaner, thicker, and peppered. Nothing amazing or groundbreaking there, but it definitely met expectations. The novelty with the pastrami burger at Mad Greek is the thick slice of swiss cheese with which they topped the burger. That was a great touch, and it really made all the difference.
Gyro: 9
It's a high score, I know, but I really think this is going to end up being the best one. I've tried it several times, partly just so I could have a good description (but partly, too, just because it's so good).
The pita was lightly toasted (not fried). It had very little tomato and onion, cut into small strips, and mixed in with the meat (instead of sitting in a pile on top). The meat uses a mixture of beef and lamb, and it's very tender. Not as high quantity as Crown Burger, but definitely tender and well-seasoned. The oil on it has this really subtle sweetness to it. It's really unique, but once noticed, it's worth reveling in.
And the sauce. Oh, man. The sauce was really thick and creamy (like if it had gotten any thicker or creamy it would have been cheese instead of a milk-based sauce), with a cucumber flavor that's just mild enough to be noticably cucumber without being strong enough to overpower the flavor of the meat. The best sauce I've had.
French Fries: 7
The french fries were very potato-flavored (which I think is good, seeing as they're made of potatos), and very lightly fried (which may be good if you're not as fat as me and don't need that much grease), and heavily salted (which is good, and I don't have any qualifier for that). They were fried enough to be crisp on the outside, but not to be greasy or really crunchy. If you don't like greasy fries, then these might be the best you'll find.
Fry Sauce: 8
Mayo and ketchup, like normal; at least at first glance. More mayo than ketchup, and the mayo was the thick, pasty stuff that I've only had in Chile or from my grandma's Dutch import store. That kind of mayo is made for french fries, and it really made the fry sauce better.
Conclusion:
Mad Greek was dang good. Don't discount it because of the name or the silly buildings. All the food was good, and the gyro was fantastic. I'm skeptical if I'll be able to find one to beat it.
Friday, June 29, 2007
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Not a hate-free zone
So recently the blogs of Kelly and Loyd were visited by an anonymous mormon-hater. It started with just a rude remark on Loyd's post about trying to be nicer, and then when Kelly snapped back at him/her, he/she posted some random anti-mormon comments, first on Loyd's blog (which the new, nicer, Loyd apparently didn't want to argue with), and then on Kelly's. Since I'm not new or nicer, I thought I'd provide a place for the anonymous hater to post his arguments without tearing down other blogs. (I've got a community to uphold, after all.)
Background
So, the hater's main topic was Mountain Meadows massacre. Just some background for readers that don't know, the massacre happened in Utah in 1857, when some mormon militia members slaughtered a group of settlers along a wagon trail.
From what I understand (and I admit that I got most of my information from Wikipedia and the recent PBS special), the relationship between the Utah territory and the US government wasn't so great at the time, and the mormons in Utah were (rightfully) afraid of further persecution and of losing their sovereignty.
So, apparently a group of militia members from southern Utah disguised as Native Americans, along with some actual Paiutes, (unrightfully) attacked a wagon train with the aim of getting them to turn back and leave Utah (possibly with Brigham Young's consent).
That isn't the most awful part yet. While they had the wagon train surrounded, one of the settlers got a good look at one of the mormons, presumably realizing that he was a white man, and not a Paiute. When the rest of the mormons were informed that their disguise had been found out, they decided (premeditated, in group meeting) to cover up their action by killing every member of the wagon train that was old enough to tell the tale. They met with the settlers, feined a truce, and then led them off and executed them.
The mormon participants swore to each other to keep secret what they'd done. Later an investigation uncovered the event and the militia officer that led the attack was tried and executed.
Discussion
So, with that all as background, this is the string of comments from Kelly's blog (just to provide context and separate the argument from the unrelated post):
That said, why is it that people continually use this event as a reason for hating our religion and organization? The anonymous commenter claims, "I love Mormons, but I do indeed hate Mormonism." I think you have that backwards. You haven't said anything at all about Mormonism, but rather you've used the inhumane actions of these militia members, who were, sadly, members of our faith, to justify a belief that "all Mormons" condone, support, or "are OK with" murder.
You say that "to this very day the Mormon Church has not accepted one ounce of responsibility". As recently as this PBS special Church leaders express deep regret and sympathy for what happened. You might point out that this is not the same as accepting responsibility for the massacre, but the fact is that the Church is not responsible: those that attacked, plotted, and murdered are responsible. If you knew anything about the doctrines of the Church, you could see that the Book of Mormon teachings against secret combinations condemn the plot and oath and murder done to cover up what these men have done. Mormonism condemns what happened more explicitly than any other philosophy of which I'm aware.
Mormonism didn't cause the murder of those innocent people. So why persist in attacking the Church, and members of the Church, over this? It doesn't make sense to continue to hate mormons, or Mormonism, because of the sins of those murderers. I guess I don't actually expect a change from you or anyone else, but (maybe for my own benefit and for that of my friends) I wanted to point out the problem with this hateful line of thinking. I can at least hope that we'll eventually develop a hate-free zone for discussion.
Background
So, the hater's main topic was Mountain Meadows massacre. Just some background for readers that don't know, the massacre happened in Utah in 1857, when some mormon militia members slaughtered a group of settlers along a wagon trail.
From what I understand (and I admit that I got most of my information from Wikipedia and the recent PBS special), the relationship between the Utah territory and the US government wasn't so great at the time, and the mormons in Utah were (rightfully) afraid of further persecution and of losing their sovereignty.
So, apparently a group of militia members from southern Utah disguised as Native Americans, along with some actual Paiutes, (unrightfully) attacked a wagon train with the aim of getting them to turn back and leave Utah (possibly with Brigham Young's consent).
That isn't the most awful part yet. While they had the wagon train surrounded, one of the settlers got a good look at one of the mormons, presumably realizing that he was a white man, and not a Paiute. When the rest of the mormons were informed that their disguise had been found out, they decided (premeditated, in group meeting) to cover up their action by killing every member of the wagon train that was old enough to tell the tale. They met with the settlers, feined a truce, and then led them off and executed them.
The mormon participants swore to each other to keep secret what they'd done. Later an investigation uncovered the event and the militia officer that led the attack was tried and executed.
Discussion
So, with that all as background, this is the string of comments from Kelly's blog (just to provide context and separate the argument from the unrelated post):
Now, my two cents. First, I in no way want to condone or justify the Mountain Meadows massacre. When I found out about it and just what happened, I felt sick. It was a horrible crime, and yes, it is shameful.
That said, why is it that people continually use this event as a reason for hating our religion and organization? The anonymous commenter claims, "I love Mormons, but I do indeed hate Mormonism." I think you have that backwards. You haven't said anything at all about Mormonism, but rather you've used the inhumane actions of these militia members, who were, sadly, members of our faith, to justify a belief that "all Mormons" condone, support, or "are OK with" murder.
You say that "to this very day the Mormon Church has not accepted one ounce of responsibility". As recently as this PBS special Church leaders express deep regret and sympathy for what happened. You might point out that this is not the same as accepting responsibility for the massacre, but the fact is that the Church is not responsible: those that attacked, plotted, and murdered are responsible. If you knew anything about the doctrines of the Church, you could see that the Book of Mormon teachings against secret combinations condemn the plot and oath and murder done to cover up what these men have done. Mormonism condemns what happened more explicitly than any other philosophy of which I'm aware.
Mormonism didn't cause the murder of those innocent people. So why persist in attacking the Church, and members of the Church, over this? It doesn't make sense to continue to hate mormons, or Mormonism, because of the sins of those murderers. I guess I don't actually expect a change from you or anyone else, but (maybe for my own benefit and for that of my friends) I wanted to point out the problem with this hateful line of thinking. I can at least hope that we'll eventually develop a hate-free zone for discussion.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Crown Burger
There's a few points to notice before I get started here. First, since I'm using Crown Burger as my base case, as a basis of comparison, I've predetermined that it's ratings will all be 5 (middle of the rating scale), to give room for other restaurants to be better or worse than it. So, the 5 here doesn't necessarily mean that it's average, just that it's the first one. You can wait to see what that rating means based on how other restaurants fair in comparison.
Second is that since there are a lot of Crown Burger restaurants, it's possible that they aren't all the same. These ratings are based on the Crown Burger at 33rd and Highland Drive. If later I decide that another Crown Burger needs to be considered, then it will get its own ratings in comparison to this Crown Burger (as though it were a separate restaurant).
Are you excited yet? I am. Ok, let's begin.
Pastrami burger: 5
Crown Burger's really proud of their pastrami burger: they call it the "Crown Burger". Admittedly, it is very good. They really pile on the pastrami. There was a lot of it, though the meat did have a lot of fat in it. The composition was pretty standard: pastrami on top, followed by cheese, burger, shredded lettuce, tomato. There wasn't much seasoning on the meat nor any special sauces (but if you're getting this burger, try putting pepper on it; it makes a big difference).
Gyro: 5
Like with the pastrami, the meat was piled high on the gyro. The meat itself wasn't very tender (it was kind of stiff, like it'd be sitting there for too long before being served), but the seasoning on it was very good.
The sauce was basically just ranch dressing (it might have been a cucumber ranch, but definitely just a salad dressing). There wasn't any feta cheese. The pita was lightly toasted on the griddle, and that was really good.
It also had sliced onions and tomatos (and a lot of these). The slices seemed a little big on the gyro, but I'm sure it's just because they use the same onions and tomatos that they put on the burgers.
French Fries: 5
The fries were pretty run of the mill. Big thick fries, but not very fresh. They weren't soggy, but not very crisp either.
Fry Sauce: 5
The fry sauce seemed like it was simply ketchup and mayonnaise mixed, with a tad higher proportion of mayonnaise. Pretty standard. (I do think I've had a different fry sauce at Crown Burger before, so maybe that's one thing that varies by location.)
Conclusion:
Do I get conclusions? I think I'll do it. It seems like the common thread to the food at (this) Crown Burger was low on flavor but high on quantity. It was all good, but pretty mild flavors. They did give a lot of everything.
Second is that since there are a lot of Crown Burger restaurants, it's possible that they aren't all the same. These ratings are based on the Crown Burger at 33rd and Highland Drive. If later I decide that another Crown Burger needs to be considered, then it will get its own ratings in comparison to this Crown Burger (as though it were a separate restaurant).
Are you excited yet? I am. Ok, let's begin.
Pastrami burger: 5
Crown Burger's really proud of their pastrami burger: they call it the "Crown Burger". Admittedly, it is very good. They really pile on the pastrami. There was a lot of it, though the meat did have a lot of fat in it. The composition was pretty standard: pastrami on top, followed by cheese, burger, shredded lettuce, tomato. There wasn't much seasoning on the meat nor any special sauces (but if you're getting this burger, try putting pepper on it; it makes a big difference).
Gyro: 5
Like with the pastrami, the meat was piled high on the gyro. The meat itself wasn't very tender (it was kind of stiff, like it'd be sitting there for too long before being served), but the seasoning on it was very good.
The sauce was basically just ranch dressing (it might have been a cucumber ranch, but definitely just a salad dressing). There wasn't any feta cheese. The pita was lightly toasted on the griddle, and that was really good.
It also had sliced onions and tomatos (and a lot of these). The slices seemed a little big on the gyro, but I'm sure it's just because they use the same onions and tomatos that they put on the burgers.
French Fries: 5
The fries were pretty run of the mill. Big thick fries, but not very fresh. They weren't soggy, but not very crisp either.
Fry Sauce: 5
The fry sauce seemed like it was simply ketchup and mayonnaise mixed, with a tad higher proportion of mayonnaise. Pretty standard. (I do think I've had a different fry sauce at Crown Burger before, so maybe that's one thing that varies by location.)
Conclusion:
Do I get conclusions? I think I'll do it. It seems like the common thread to the food at (this) Crown Burger was low on flavor but high on quantity. It was all good, but pretty mild flavors. They did give a lot of everything.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Another post about Stefani's name
In Italian, the name "Steven" is "Stefano". Well, also in Italian, words that end in "o" are made plural by changing them to an "i". So, if you could pluralize the name Stefano, it would be, "Stefani". So, that means that Stefani is "Stevens". Maybe "Even Stevens". Hopefully that will help her out with her Disney-loving roommates.
Monday, May 28, 2007
Quest for the Supreme Greek Burger place
Since moving to Salt Lake I've noticed that there are a lot of Greek restaurants. Maybe this is becoming standard procedure in a lot of cities, but it was surprise to me. (My brother says that there are a lot of Greek restaurants in Denver, but I don't remember there being a lot of them.)
One type of restaurant that seems peculiarly popular is the Greek burger restaurant. I first saw this pattern with Crown Burger and Burger Supreme in Provo. (I always wondered if there was a connection between these two restaurants, since their menus are so similar, and I didn't realize until recently that there are tons of restaurants that follow this same pattern.)
So, now that I've moved to Salt Lake where these restaurants are so common, I feel that I must answer a certain calling, for which I'm sure I am destined: To identify the Best of these Greek burger restaurants!
To do this, I've decided that I must sample each of the Greek burger restaurants that I can find, and compare them. I want to do this as scientifically as possible (considering that it's completely subjective), so I'll be ordering the same items at each restaurant and rating them on a numeric scale. I'll use a 1-10 scale for the ratings, but since the ratings only make sense when placed relative to each other, I'll choose one restaurant as a basis for comparison: Crown Burger. (I would have chose Burger Supreme, because it's what I'm most familiar with and because it's universally awesome, but since I live in SLC now, I just won't be able to eat there often enough to make it the basis. Crown Burger makes the most sense of the others because it is the most popular and has the most locations.)
There will be four categories for comparison, based on the items unique to the Greek burger places: The pastrami burger, the gyro, french fries, and fry sauce. (I choose the pastrami burger instead of a regular burger because this seems to be the one that Greek places specialize in.)
And, this post is already beyond Ronnie-readable length, so I'll start the reviews with the next post. I hope that I can make the world a better place with this quest.
One type of restaurant that seems peculiarly popular is the Greek burger restaurant. I first saw this pattern with Crown Burger and Burger Supreme in Provo. (I always wondered if there was a connection between these two restaurants, since their menus are so similar, and I didn't realize until recently that there are tons of restaurants that follow this same pattern.)
So, now that I've moved to Salt Lake where these restaurants are so common, I feel that I must answer a certain calling, for which I'm sure I am destined: To identify the Best of these Greek burger restaurants!
To do this, I've decided that I must sample each of the Greek burger restaurants that I can find, and compare them. I want to do this as scientifically as possible (considering that it's completely subjective), so I'll be ordering the same items at each restaurant and rating them on a numeric scale. I'll use a 1-10 scale for the ratings, but since the ratings only make sense when placed relative to each other, I'll choose one restaurant as a basis for comparison: Crown Burger. (I would have chose Burger Supreme, because it's what I'm most familiar with and because it's universally awesome, but since I live in SLC now, I just won't be able to eat there often enough to make it the basis. Crown Burger makes the most sense of the others because it is the most popular and has the most locations.)
There will be four categories for comparison, based on the items unique to the Greek burger places: The pastrami burger, the gyro, french fries, and fry sauce. (I choose the pastrami burger instead of a regular burger because this seems to be the one that Greek places specialize in.)
And, this post is already beyond Ronnie-readable length, so I'll start the reviews with the next post. I hope that I can make the world a better place with this quest.
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Count your blessings, you got off easy. You could just as easy been one of the poor innocent victims at the Mountain Meadows Massacre. You lucked out and they didnt. They got shot in the head at close range by a bunch of crazed blood-thirsty Mormons. The young children got their skulls bashed in with a rifle butt weilded by the "good" Mormons of Utah. I dont ever want to see the Mormon Welcome Wagon heading my way.
So, anon, I'm wondering what your motivation is here. It's quite apparent that you're anti-mormon. It seems random, though, that you start spouting on this post. Your comment has virtually nothing to do with any of the discussions on this page. So it would seem that you simply want to spread some of the ugly history about the mormon church around wherever you can. Is that right? I really have always been curious about the motivation of anti-mormons. Please, if you'd like, do fill me in.
Actually I love Mormons, but I do indeed hate Mormonism. The historical account of the Mountain Meadows Massacre is well documented. I know most Mormons will tell you it never happened just like Nazis will tell you that they never ever killed a Jew. Come to think of it Mormonism and Nazism have many things in common but I wont bore you with the details because you wouldnt believe me anyway. My real goal is to educated everyone in the world about Joseph Smith. Joseph was one of the most evil men to ever walk the face of the earth. He was a pathological liar, a cheat, a scoundrel, a child molester, an adulterer, a thief, a murderer, a castrater, and all around bad person. Im glad you asked. And if you want to know Brigham Young wasnt much better.
I think my post was right on the money. You lost a radio. So what, someone will buy you a new one. The innocent victims of the Mountain Meadows Massacre lost their lives and to this very day the Mormon Church has not accepted one ounce of responsibilty. That is shameful. But apparently you are OK with it as are all Mormons. Shameful, just shameful.