Chick-fil-a Spicy Chicken Biscuit

I am a huge @chickfila fan so this is tough for me to say, the Spicy Chicken Biscuit isn't all that it is cracked up to be. For those that like it, I am happy for you. As for me, this was a whole lot of meh piled on top of more meh. Here is the problem (and it isn't just the biscuit), the chicken is nothing but spice. I have tried it on 2 different occasions and came away both times with the same feeling.

Taste test 1: The first picture you see was the one I got the first day they were released for purchase. The biscuit wasn't that bad. It was a little over cooked, but it was more along the line of a McDonald's biscuit (which is much better). The chicken though was way over spiced, especially for a breakfast item. I get that I am ordering a spicy item, but this is just over the top. I could hardly take a bite without having to wash it down with something at the same time. Nobody wants to eat something that spicy for breakfast, let alone have to go into work after eating that. Less is more in this case.

Taste test 2: The last 2 pics are of the one I ate a couple of days ago when I decided to give it another shot. I guess I figured that they were working out the kinks and this would be as good as the sandwich. I was wrong. The biscuit was back to being more like the sweet cake biscuit that they usually have (no good) and the chicken was once again beyond spicy. I am all for the spicy sandwich and I enjoy it. This however just makes me never want to eat the biscuit version ever again.

The breakfast spicy chicken needs to have a slow heat. It need to be slight, but at the same time is different from the regular chicken. Bojangles serves the same one all day, but theirs is mild and always on point. It is perfect for breakfast and hot enough for lunch. Not to mention their biscuit is always on point. I am not saying Chick-fil-a needs to go that route, but they need to cut back on the morning spice.

I was very much looking forward to this coming out and now I wish they never did. I was hoping they would do spicy nuggets at some point. I am no longer hoping for this. Please just leave everything else alone. It is cute that inside the wrapper they are instructing me to eat more spicy chicken. Sorry, but the advertising won't work this time.

Egg Salad Perfection

For something that is so easy to make a lot of people sure don't know how to make good egg salad, let alone great egg salad. I tend to think my egg salad is more towards the latter. I assume that most people know how to hard boil eggs, how to cool them down, and how to peel them. So with most knowing how to do that, the perfect egg salad then comes down to 2 things, the chop and the mix.

The chop is something that most people that for granted. They tend to over chop and created this fine mixture. For some that is ok, but for me egg salad needs to be chunky. I have found that the hand chopper pictured is the best way to get the right combo of chopped to chunky. Sure...you could use a fork to accomplish the same results, but it isn't as much fun as using this tool.

Once you get your desired chop it is then time to fold in your mix. For me this is a large spoonful of Hellman's, because nothing else is really mayo, and a little bit of Horseradish mayo to taste. I say you want to fold this in because over mixing will kill your egg salad. Fold it in scooping from the bottom to the top. You might want to use a rubber spatula for this so you can get the right texture. A little black pepper and you are then set for consumption.

By all means you can eat this as is right out of the bowl. However for me, the best way to eat this is with some fresh tomato slices with either a croissant or fresh white bread. For this meal I went with the croissant and it was a great choice for my perfect egg salad.

Umami - It is all about the taste buds

Umami is a new Asian Fusion restaurant located here in Savannah. They offer a unique take on classic Chinese, Japanese, and Thai dishes. Per their mission statement:

"Umami is not only the mysterious 5th primary taste, it is also the final ingredient to a successful fully satisfied guest experience. We look at Umami as the ingredient missing in all quick casual restaurant experiences… and we have it! Our environment and team members are expressive of freshness, healthfulness, community, flavor, art and music."

They pack flavor and value into these dishes as the menu includes various soups & spring rolls to pad thai noodle dishes and stir fry. The prices on all the dishes are very affordable for lunch and especially for a dinner. On this trip I went with their version of Kung Pao Chicken that is served with a side of Jasmine Rice. I wasn't sure what to expect and in the end I was blown away. The dish is so simple, yet was so good. I realize Kung Pao Chicken is my Asian comfort zone and I look forward to going back to Umami to stretch my taste buds along their culinary road.

Shrimp Spring Roll

I was trying to think of something while in The Fresh Market to go with the P.F. Chang's General Tsao's Chicken (which I have reviewed before) that I was making for dinner and was drawn to the "Sushi with Gusto" counter.

This is the same fresh sushi counters that are in many grocery stores these days, but it just seems that there is more variety at The Fresh Market. Still, if I could change one thing it would be them being able to make certain rolls upon request (especially if they have everything on hand). I really was wanting a roll like the Montgomery Crossroll, but the guy behind the counter told me he couldn't make it. All he really needed to do was make a California Roll and add tuna. Oh well, that couldn't be done but the Shrimp Spring Roll caught my eye.

The Shrimp Spring Roll is very fresh and refreshing to eat. It is loaded with cucumbers, carrots, lettuce and avacado. It is then rolled up and sealed with a little lemonayse. They then take a cooked shrimp and lay it on top of the roll and wrap everything up in rice paper. It comes with a spicy duck sauce that is the perfect compliment to these rolls. Dipping each bite into this spicy sauce gives it the extra bite and flavor it needs.

Give this roll a shot the next time you pass by the sushi counter in the grocery store. I really think you will like it.

Chorizo Omelette from J. Christopher's

Been a while since we have hit up J. Christopher's as it can tend to be pretty pricey for breakfast, but today we decided to head downtown and partake in their brunch menu. I found this little diddy on the "Today's Specials" menu and decided to give it a shot. This omelette was loaded with tons of ground chorizo sausage, roasted red peppers and topped with buffalo mozzarella. I got it with a side of potatoes and it came with an english muffin. I say an english muffin, but for some reason this came out with 2 english muffins. The omelette was very good, but it actually could have benefited from less sausage or having it sliced instead of ground. I enjoyed eating this very much, but I just think it would have been better served with less or sliced.

It was about 25 degrees outside when we got there and had to park a couple of blocks away. Since I mentioned that, a huge negative with going anywhere below Liberty here in Savannah is having to try and find a parking space. It can be quite a challenge and a hassle. Today we were fortunate to find a space not that far away, but yet still far enough that it made for a very cold walk. So I decided to warm my bones with a hot chocolate, since I am not a coffee drinker. This was a pretty run of the mill hot chocolate, but it did hit the spot.

Also, I would like to recommend the Caprese Benedict, for those that like Caprese salads and like Eggs Benedict...this is a match made in heaven for you. My wife got it and enjoyed every bite. Think buffalo mozzarella, tomatoes, basil on top of an english muffin and then topped with your egg and Hollandaise Sauce. I didn't take a picture of it, but it looked excellent.

New Years Eve Surf & Turf Dinner

Steak & Lobster, does it really get much better? 2010 was dismissed in grand fashion with these 2" thick ribeyes and lobster tails.

The steaks were seasoned in a little olive oil & Chicago Steak Seasoning. Ignore the char on the steak as they were medium well inside and tasted amazing.

The lobsters were split on the underside and I carefully separated the meat from the shell. The meat was then basted in drawn lemon butter with garlic. These were then grilled a couple of min on each side until the shell turned red and the meat was no longer translucent.

For sides I grilled up some zucchini that I marinated in balsamic along with some secret spices. We then baked some potatoes and the plan was for them to be loaded with butter, sour cream, cheese, scallions, and bacon bits. The Crown & Ginger was going down very easily last night and I forgot to pull the scallions & bacon bits out of the fridge. Oh well...it was still good.

Dessert was cannolis from The Fresh Market.