It is a burger battle (...with a side of fries)!!

This is a post that I have wanted to write for some time.  Now that I live out here "on the coast" (I have ALWAYS wanted to say that - please picture me saying that with sunglasses on...), I feel that I have legitimacy in my judgement because I have tasted an In-N-Out burger.   I did not feel that it would be a complete picture without the west coast representative.

Rule number One is that this only includes chains.   We are all very much aware that home grilled and local burger joints have a much higher tendency towards better products.  So I do not want to hear how Bob's Burgers in Aggie-ville outclasses them all.  I am sure that they do...

Now let's just cut to the chase.  My personal, own opinion, based on the tastebuds of the Web Guy, winner would be Five Guys with In-N-Out burgers coming in a very close second.  In fact, In-N-Out lost huge points with me because of their fries (Overall, the worst in the business... and as an FYI, Steak 'n Shake has the best fries ever.)

Third place was won by the aforementioned Shake 'n Shake (burger are bolstered by the best fries in the business and great milkshakes).

I found Burger King's burger to be rather flavorful so they gave in fourth.

Red Robin came in fifth on the strength of serving liquor and great milkshakes in their establishment, but the taste of their burgers puts them on par with Wendy's (sixth).

I am sorry to say that the worst burger(s) in my highly scientific poll was a statistical tie between McDonalds and Smash Burger.

There you have it.  Now, I also want to reiterate that I am not that picky so I will be sure to revisit all of these establishments in the future (except Smash Burger... man, just not to my taste).

Enjoy!

Making new friends

Made a new friend

My mother and sister came into town for the past weekend and it has been a lot of fun.  I even made a new friend as you can see here on the right.  I  am STILL just tickled at the fact that there are animals that I loved as a child but only saw in zoos.  Hearing a seal vocalize and seeing it lay under a wharf is just wonderful.  I sent this picture to everyone I have EVER met!

The weekend started off on what could have been a rocky beginning.  We got dinner at a place called "The Left Bank" in an area called Santana Row.  The area is really a great place to wander and people watch.  It is a rather hip residential/shopping area and we were having a blast wandering around.  Then we sat down for dinner.  The service was wonderful, my trout was great but my mother's steak (while very flavorful) was tough as nails.  Unfortunately, she refused to return it because she didn't want to be a bother.

Saturday was the obligatory trip to San Fransisco's Chinatown and lunch in the Italian section.  Once again, great people watching.

Anyway, on Sunday we had a great time in Santa Cruz.  Everything was damn near perfect.  While the water is a bit chilly, my sister got to walk on the beach for the first time.

We stopped for lunch on the wharf at a place called Riva's Fish House where I had a passable fish and chips.  The prices were rather reasonable (in comparison).  My sister ordered the crab sandwich and my mother got a burger.  I will say that the cole slaw that came with my mother's burger was fantastic.  Yes, I would go back.

On the way back to San Jose, the ladies wanted to visit a winery (when in northern California, I think it is required by law...).  My sister picked Rapazzini winery in Gilroy, California.  Now, you have to understand that Gilroy calls itself the "Garlic Capital of the World", so when we pulled up to the winery there was a garlic shoppe next door.  On the other side of the winery was a roadside fruit stand.  Needless to say, we got back on the road with quite the haul.

The mother is happy and so is my baby sister.  They both are tickled pick with their first visit to the northern section of California.  Of that, I am glad.

This really is a great place to be.