Dishola: Reviews by the Dish
- dishola /dish•ō•lâ/
- v. To share the love of food - dish by dish. n. The ultimate source to find real meals at real places that rule.
Paula's Profile
1010 Fort Pickens Rd,
Pensacola Beach, FL
(850) 932-4139
Paula
on 05/16/07
Haaaarrr! These crispy nuggets of lightly fried grouper are reason enough to book your next vacation on Pensacola Beach. At Peg Legs the nuggets are always hot, fat, and flaky, and made from generous, irregularly-shaped portions of fresh Gulf grouper (hooray that they're not perfectly stamped-out discs off the Sysco truck). Served with fat fries, homemade tartar sauce and, if you're smart, a generous dousing of Crystal Hot Sauce, and this just may be the world's best beach snack. Add cold beer, a classic rock soundtrack ("slow ride...!) and salty sea air and you have, well, reason to place another order.
1600 Westheimer Rd,
Houston, TX
(713) 524-7744
Paula
on 05/05/07
Blame it on the perfect margarita and spicy peanuts that I sipped and nibbled when I arrived: I was in the mood for the unexpected I rarely order tostadas, or shrimp, particularly in a spectacular restaurant that specializes in interior Mexican cuisine, but something told me the version done at Hugo's would be special, and it was. A crisp, delicate fried tortilla was slathered with rich and smoky black beans and topped with shredded lettuce and sweet shrimp that were lightly sauteed in garlic oil. A crumbling of creamy queso anejo pulled all the flavors together. I had one of my best meals of the year at Hugo's, and this deceptively simple dish is the one I dream about.
2529 S Lamar Blvd,
Austin, TX
(512) 444-0261
Paula
on 04/23/07
If La Quinta is Spanish for "free internet" then migas is Spanish for "breakfast nirvana, hangover panacea, or Texas birthright..." As most any Austinite knows, migas actually means "little crumbs" and a beloved morning scramble involving eggs, crushed tortilla chips, and any number of other ingredients including onions, tomatoes, fresh chiles, etc. Maria's Taco Xpress takes their version to another level--they fry the migas until it's crusty and browned, top it with an unapologetic amount of cheddar that melts as the bottom crisps, and serve a weighty portion in a warmed flour tortilla. Add plenty of Maria's tart and fiery chimichurri salsa, and you have one sublime eating experience. Pass the napkins and the cafe con leche.
11 Division St,
New York, NY, 10002
(212) 941-6888
Paula
on 02/23/07
Down at the base of the Manhattan Bridge, just off the lower reaches of the Bowery is one of the best Chinese restaurants in the country. There are no duds on Fu Leen's menu, but the house made silken tofu, steamed, and topped with fresh sea scallops and drizzled with their unctuous and saline black bean sauce is one of the great dishes in a city filled with phenomenal food.
State Fair Grounds, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Paula
on 02/23/07
This is Carla and Kirby Wood's award winning beef and pork Italian sloppy joe filling, made fresh in their booth every day during the summertime runs of the Iowa and Minnesota State Fairs. The filling is stuffed into a crusty Italian torpedo roll, topped with mozzarella and broiled until the cheese melts over the sides and the whole shebang is quickly rolled in foil to seal in all the goodness. By the time you eat it, 2 minutes later, the bread has soaked up the juices, making for a pretty nifty and easy to eat treat. Addictive. In season I eat one a day.