Jalapeno Locos - August 30th 2009

Yep, I know I dated my entry title. Well, let me just say, that my frequency here is so limited that it could be a different year before I come back. Let's hope not, since noone should go without Nachos THAT LONG!

So, I had the regular Nachos at Jalapeno Locos last evening. Since I am not a fan of Sour Cream nor Guacamole it made no sense to get Super Nachos which are only different because of these two additional items.

For what they are, I'd give them a solid 5 in ranking of Nachos. Not too strong and not too weak in any categories that break them out of "average" for the most part.

• Chips: Chips were a little light, but still crisp and didn't taste like paperboard.
• Presentation: The chips were very slightly piled on the plate, with all of them well-covered with cheese, meat, and beans which gave them a higher mark for Presentation.
• Unfortunately, there was a lot of cheese on lighter chips, which made them extra-greasy which detracts from the overall experience.
• The cheese was real yet well-melted, which I'd give extra points for.
• The ground beef and beans weren't anything too exciting, which didn't do them any favors.

Overall, I'd say they were decent Nachos, but not going to win any special awards anytime soon.

Well, I hope to get some better Nachos updates out soon!

Have a splendid week!

Cat

Infinite hiatus

Hola friends!

I have not been here in a while, obviously. I must admit that I have been away from Nachos far too long and not actually had Nachos material. As well, with the birth of CJ (A.K.A. "Zulu") I have not been good about consuming Nachos nor have I been good about getting to the PC. I hope to rectify that soon!

I must say, though, that I risk sounding like a broken record everyone hears when I say that the birth and raising of my son (over these last 2 weeks only!) has been the hardest and most rewarding experience of my life. My wife is phenomenal and my son is awesome! I can't say enough how much having a family changes things.

Enough of that! On with the good stuff! Well, next time!

Later,

Cat

Nachos_1: Monday's Nachos

I had a lunch biz discussion with Corie, in Racine at Jose's Blue Sombrero on Hwy 20. A long-time favorite in the JD area for fun, margaritas, and Nachos; we both had the half-order of Robyn's Nachos off the menu. I had chicken while Corie had ground beef as her Nachos option in this case.

First, I should warn anyone that the HALF order of Robyn's Nachos is more than most mortals should eat at one sitting, and piled with refried beans, cheese (real!), onions, tomatoes, sour cream, and guacamole in addition to the meat you select. All in all, a pretty decent plate of Nachos!

Next, I have to give them a mid-level ranking of 6 and here's why:

1. Extra points for the extra toppings, real sliced up toppings, and the guac and sour cream included. ( I don't actually care for guac nor sour cream, but I can't slight them for that!)
2. Lost points for the chips not being that great, not terrible, but not great. I think the chips in the complementary Chips and Salsa every table gets were better this day!
3. Lost points for the nachos being mostly soggy, presumably because the chicken appears to have been pulled from a sauce or some other resting place. Mixed with the cheese that is melted on the plate, plus the beans, makes for soggy Nachos.
4. Lost points for no shredded beef option! (Yes, this means most places won't be able to get a 9 score at all!)
5. Extra points, though, for using real cheese and actually melting it on the plate.

I know, I know, how could any restaurant in WI NOT use real cheese and not bow their heads in shame? Well, it's okay because I've learned that there is a good segment of the Nacho-consuming population who prefer cheese sauce on their Nachos. I'm not one of those hippies, so extra points are awarded.

And finally, would I recommend the Robyn's Nachos to you? Yep, while they have issues, they're still a decent plate (or Half if you're smart!) of Nachos!

So, let's summarize:

• Location: Jose's Blue Sombrero
• Date: 05/04/2009
• Meal: Robyn's Nachos (Chicken)
• Score: 6
• Go Back?: Yes

Nachos blogging begins

I had a good short discussion about my blog, or lack thereof, today with Amy. During that conversation, blogging about Nachos was suggested and so, I am going to start my search for the best Nachos in the SE Wisconsin area. Amy rocks!

SO, let's talk about the criteria and scale of Nachos. In my personal opinion, Shredded Beef Nachos are the best! If anyone reads this (at all!) who was at our Wedding, you'd understand the bar being set very high with the Shredded Beef Nachos bar having been prepared by South Hill-Country Club. That, my friends, ranks in at 9 on the 1-10 ranking scale I will be using with 10 being impossibly fabulous and 1 being "Oh my gods what is this pile of something on my plate!?" kind of thing.

Criteria for Nachos will be items listed as "Nachos" on the menu of whatever location I visit; However, that will be further scrutinized for more than 2 parts as a minimum requirement. Chips and salsa are NOT Nachos for the purposes of this study. Chips with some pico on them are NOT Nachos for the purposes of this study. I think we all get it, right?

Also, the empirical approach and scientific methodology utilized in this blog will consist of my opinion and whatever I like at the time I'm having the Nachos!

Welcome

Hola everyone,

Welcome to my Blogger Blog! I'll be using this to periodically update you on all things Cat, maybe, or maybe some new stuff on "Zulu" as development continues!

You can email me at cattsan@hotmail.com or even facebook, but I really don't check it often!

Have an awesome day,

Cat