Food For Thought

Well it's summer and the eating is good! A little too good I think because both Chili and My Best Investments can see that my eating skills are being put to good use since they both tagged me with the Dining Out Meme. And unfortunately, I have the tummy to prove it...

Rules schmules:

Link to name of person(s) who tagged you.
Include state and country you live in.
List top 5 favorite local restaurants.
Tag 5 other people and let them know they’ve been tagged.

Where I live: State of Confusion, USA or Kansas, if you want to get picky.

Top Five Local Restaurants that I enjoy:

1. Fortune Wok - This is probably one of the best Chinese restaurants I've ever tried. They make killer Hot and Sour Soup, their crab rangoons are creamy and crispy and they have several familiar and signature dishes that are making my mouth water when I think about them. One of our favorites is the Wok Roasted Chicken - a unique dish composed of lightly rice-flour breaded pieces of chicken in a spicy dark sauce along with dried red chilies and peanuts. It comes with barely steamed broccoli which helps to offset the tingle of heat in the dish. Yummy!
2. BD Mongolian Grill - I love this place because you run through a huge bar full of all sorts of ingredients - about 8 meats such as steak, chicken, scallops, lamb, shrimp, pork, tofu and around 20 different vegetables of your choice. You pile whatever you want into a bowl, add your spices and oils and then take them over to a humongous skillet where 5 people rotate around it to cook, turn, break apart and finish your masterpiece. They scoop it off onto a plate when it's done and hand it back to you. By the time you've made it back to your table, you have tortilla and rice waiting for you - whichever compliments your meal. It's fun and entertaining to watch them make your meal, and you can go through again if you're still hungry. Me? I've only ever been able to make it through once, but the way I'm going...
3. Fiorelli's Jack Stack BBQ - honestly, this place is on there only because they make the best baked beans known to man. And I'm from Memphis, you know that has to be a compliment and a half. I've been known to go by and order the beans just for lunch. Yep. They're that good. (Oh, and their baby back ribs aren't half bad either.
4. O'Neill's Irish Bar and Pub - This place is a nod back to the old days. The place itself has a pleasant charm. Old men sit at the bar, enjoying retirement, yet talking business from yesteryear. The dark walls and raised booths lend a hand to privacy, but you aren't ignored when there. And Oh. My. Lands. This restaurant makes the best salad this side of heaven. Lettuce, red peppers, avocados, pecans, red onions, tomatoes, tortilla strips, grilled chicken - all served with a tangy honey citrus vinaigrette. It's sooo good that when I get it for the Executives who come through the office, they admit that they had to keep themselves from licking the plate clean. It's that good. And it's just a stinkin' salad! Imagine what they can do with real food...
5. J. Alexander's - They make the most delicious steak that is topped with a scoop of slighly breaded and fried blue cheese. The meat melts in your mouth and the bits of cheese that you add gives it that little something-something that makes you want to go back to try it again and again. And their baked potatoes are as big as your head! (I just went there Monday on a Business dinner. Oh divine, Divine, DEVINE! And the wine was really good too. It helps that I was there with a couple of fantastic people who made the entire night enjoyable too.
6. What? Did you really think I would stop at 5? Foolish you... Cold Stone Creamery - Sweet cream ice cream with strawberries smushed into it, all in a waffle cone. Nough said.

Okay, I tag Joyful Days, Bren J, Daring Young Mom, Stacey and Willson (because he's a chef and he knows food!)