Cowboy Chow

We've been meaning to go to Cowboy Chow for a while now.  It's right here in Deep Ellum next to us but for some reason we always either forget about it or just miss them.  With my mom in town we wanted a quick bite to eat and went on over.  It's right in a good little area of DE across from Angry Dog & Baker's Ribs.  All kinds of goodness within a block of one another.  From the outside of Cowboy Chow you can see what looks like an old saloon, with rocking chairs lining the outside.

As we walked in the decor was perfect.  I personally think they nailed it, the western theme was great.  Pictures of buffalo, cowboys, old signage, wooden booths and waggon wheels too.  After perusing the menu I felt like I was getting ready to eat something the cowboys really used to eat, it was probably the photos on the walls.  I'm not making this up for the sake of blogging either. 

They had kind of a "serve yourself attitude" even though it was a normal sit down restaurant.  It was kinda cool actually, it was different.  It was the complete opposite of what Ocean Prime was the night before.  Sol and I ordered "Mexican Coke".  For those of you that don't know that means it comes in a glass bottle, is slightly sweeter and the label is all in Spanish, it's all the rage these days, lol.  Click on the link for Mexican Coke, I found a pretty good blog on the difference.  Back to the Chow, the server dropped the Cokes off at the table with the cap on and said, "There's a bottle opener at the end of the table".  My Mom ordered iced tea and it was served in a carafe that held probably two to three refills.   The server took a glass off the stack that was pre-set at the end of the table and gave it to her.  The silverware was in a glass jar that had 6 settings inside that was also pre-set on the table.  Most places will roll silverware, here they just roll a napkin and give it to you.  Enough about the lunch-ware. 

I ordered a Brisket Sloppy Joe w/ homemade potato chips.  It was severed on a Jalapeno butter bun that held up nicely against the moisture of the "Joe".  I wasn't sure how they were going to make brisket taste like sloppy joe but I went for it anyway.  They succeeded without over doing the flavor, they didn't try too hard, in a good way.  There was more than a hint of flavor and it was very hearty.  I'll tell you one thing they got the sloppy part down.  Once I picked it up I feared putting it down for the fact that it might fall apart.  So I ate it with my right hand and ate the potato chips with my left hand.  The chips were actually very good, thick with a Cajun salt dusting.  Fresh and crunchy and almost healthy tasting.  Is that possible?  Healthy potato chips?

My mom ordered the Brisket Tacos, something I urged her to try since I think it is a Texas/Dallas "dish".  It's the perfect fusion between Texas (brisket) & Mexican(tacos) hence Tex-Mex.  She went for it, and loved it!  The Lone Star Brisket Tacos had beer braised brisket w/ cheddar and Jack cheese, cowboy pico, sliced avocado & lime cream sauce.  It also had black beans and rice that were strategically placed at the bottom of the miners pan that it was served on.  By miners pan I mean what they used to pan for gold with during the Gold Rush.  Why do I say the rice was strategically placed?  Because all the drippings fell right onto it enhancing the flavor. Sol ordered some ribs and mashed potatoes that she said were very tender.  After a few minutes I looked over and the meat was clean off the bones and they were sitting on a plate, empty.  So I'm guessing they were good.

After all was said and done I asked for some water.  To my surprise the server dropped off a large glass reusable bottle of water; then she gave me a glass so I could pour it myself. 

Overall I liked it.  I would go back.  It was different, it was original and it was good.  I thought that Cowboy Chow was a different kind of place and if you're up for something different and quick - go giver 'er a try.

Original_"What they used to eat"_Nice Decor

NYC Part 4 of 4: Shnippers & STK

First off it has been a few weeks since new york so I apologize about the tardiness of Part IV.

Secondly, thank you to those of you that are still reading, that means that you are slightly interested in what I am writing or...your name is Sol.

Our last day in the City was Sunday, it was kind of Bobby Flay day, Bar Americain, one of his restaurants. I can't say I can really give this place a fair assessment because: a)I was still engorged from the night before and my stomach wasn't too happy I had even considered the thought of putting more food it in b) I ordered breakfast (off the brunch menu); and it's kind of hard to judge a good restaurant off breakfast food c) the waiter didn't "wow" us (main reason) & the greeters seemed a little "eh", all 3 of them.

As a note going forward: if I love a place it will not only have good food but GREAT service. Needless to say I won't go into any detail about Bar Americain - yes that's how you spell it.

After a visiting Americain we went to check out Elsa's (one of Sol's best friends) loft on the Upper East Side. Then we were off to Schnipper's, home of the Sloppy Joe Throwdown (Bobby Flay show).

As we walked in it seemed like a GIANT In 'N Out. They had an interesting menu, all american favorites with a bit of a twist, hot dogs, burgers, shakes, etc. Scanning the menu was pointless since I knew what I was going to get months ago as I was sitting on my couch with my mouth watering watching the throw-down. Back at Schnipper's, the Sloppy Joe was as good as it looked on TV. In fact it was so Sloppy I had to go get another bun because there was so much left over. It had that perfect bar-b-Que/ketchup/meaty taste. Just like the cafeteria lady used to make (aka my mom). I have to admit it was much better than I had hoped for. I am glad Flay put this place on TV, otherwise I never would have enjoyed it. Definitely worth the trip & not too far from Time Square for those of you interested.

Later that night...

We found ourselves in the Meatpacking District looking for STK (pronounced Es Tee Kay) the restaurant I had originally planned for on Friday night. Since there was no sign on the outside we walked passed it twice. Eventually we found it & strolled in and went straight to the bar, sat down and looked at the drink list, very niiiice.

Their cocktails were all handcrafted. Meaning, house made bar syrup, house made sour & fresh ingredients. I Love places with this much emphasis on details in their cocktails (see my blog about the Ususal). A few of the cocktails we sampled I listed below:

"white orchid"
ketel one citroen ginger cosmo with canton, white cranberry juice, and candied ginger

"gin fizz"
oxley gin with fresh lemon & lime juice, sliced cucumber (mudled) , topped with soda water

"rediscovered cherry cosmo"
smirnoff black cherry vodka, triple sec, white cranberry juice, fresh lime, dried cherry

"tempest storm"
absolut berry acai, limoncello, muddled blackberries and fresh sour

I won't go into too much detail but to answer your question, yes they are all as good as they look. All had very different flavors and every sip was a good time. Our bartender was amazing. He was an actor (that I recognized) doing Broadway and had just gotten into Harvard, pretty impressive right? We told him we had just gotten engaged and he took care of us which was very nice. He was genuinely happy for us and wanted to hear about it. He knew when to talk to us and when to let us enjoy ourselves. His cocktail recommendations were spot on and he killed it on the food endorsements.

He urged us to try the lil' Big Macs, he said, "every time the a guest orders them at the bar, all the bartenders wish they could have a bite." Done. Send 'em right over. Before that he brought us a pan of bread with a side of chive infused olive oil. It was a green color and a little scary to look at but had great flavor when the bread was dipped in it. The bread was apparently fresh baked by a local new yorker that came in every morning, which made it taste that much better.

 Then came probably the best thing I put in my mouth all weekend, the Lil' Big Macs: Japanese Waygu, special sauce, sesame bun & a white cheese that I couldn't put my finger on.

Japaneese Waygu: basically Kobe beef

Special Sauce: not just your ketchup and mayo special sauce but your good burger special sauce

Sesame bun: Fresh Baked by the same lady who cooks the bread

The first bite was unexplainable, so good, so flavorful and so tender! As I was chewing I looked at Sol, then the bartender, I didn't have to say a word. He said, "I know..." - Sol dug in as well and if we hadn't planned on continuing on for another few cocktails we probably could have eaten ourselves in to a coma. But I will never forget the way that tickled my taste buds. For those of you that keep an eye on the Food Network, I think that was, "The best thing I ever ate..."

Nice & Sloppy_Worth the trip_Find STK...