2007 Year in review- Food!

2007 was once again and excellent year for food eating. We had a Qdoba taco bar at work today and I am still in a taco coma. I definitely ate less than 2006 but I also didn’t do an Ironman (or much of anything) in 2007. I ate out 198 time in 2007. I only ate at one place double digit times, surprise, surprise, it was Taco Bell! 19 times including once in Puerto Rico. Hubbard Ave Diner was 2nd with 9 and JT Whitneys with 8 trips for 3rd. Great Dane, Red Robin, Unos and Papa Johns at 7 each rounding out the Top 7.

Local Rankings

Best New Restaurant: Abuelos
Best Burger/Appetizers: Dottys Melting Pot/Cheese Curds
Best Mexican/Nachos: Abuelos Shredded Beef Nachos
Best Fast Food/Fast Food Item: Taco Bell/Chicken Quesadilla
Worst Restaurant/New Restaurant: Gray’s Tied House (anything/everything)


Best places of 2007:
Empire Burger, Breckenridge, CO
Mama Bear’s, Bloomington, IN
Abuelos, Middleton, WI

On the rise: Taco Bell,
Sliding down: Sonic, White Castle, Taco Time

Notes
-I ate at 0 Waffle Houses this year and never made the trek over to Quaker Steak and Lube. I only ate once at Long John Silvers, Tumbleweed & Buffalo Wild Wings. So my win quota was lacking big-time in 07.
-Gray’s Papaya was the place to eat late night in NYC. It was located next to a White Castle in Manhattan but Gray’s was packed and WC not. I ate at both the first night, Gray’s the rest, best hot dog I’ve ever had.
-Manhattan also has a place that serves just Mac & Cheese. It’s called Smac. Go there!
-Want donuts, burgers or nachos? Breckenridge, CO has among the best in class of each of those, and some pretty awesome pizza to boot.
-It’s hard for me to declare something as the best pizza ever. But one of the top 3 I’ve ever had is Mother Bear’s Pizza in Bloomington, Indiana. Go there, eat big, be happy!
-Coffee was a big thing for me this year. The Copper Cup (also in Bloomington) makes the best brews I’ve ever had. Locally I’d have to rate my top 3 as Java Cat, Starbucks and Barriques, although I’ve only been to about 7-8 shops locally. Kwik Trip is the best gas station coffee hands down.

-My old favorite restaurant, Jungle Jims, is closed now. Much love and respect.

-The worst thing I saw in food was a two stage process. I hated to see our cherished State St. Taco Bell turn into a Taco Bell/KFC. It was even worse when we were in Puerto Rico at a similar operation and Barry got a quesadilla and put mashed potoatoes and cole slaw on them. It might have been the single worst food moment of 2007. Barry should be ashamed.