The Honest Traveling Foodie

Truly modern Japanese. I went to Kita yesterday for lunch with a work colleague. When glancing at the menu, it appeared that it was more of a fusion restaurant than modern, but I'm just here for the food. They had a few sushi rolls on the menu. I would have liked to see a few more selections but they had most of the basics that I use to compare restaurants. We arrived around noon, just after they opened. We were the first people in the place, so we were seated immediately. Our drink order was taken immediately, as well as my appetizer order, the crispy pork belly. I also ordered the volcano roll, some unagi, and the shrimp and scallop hibachi. He ordered a crunch roll and the spicy garlic beef. First, I was served the onion soup, or "clear" soup, and house salad that come with the hibachi dinner. The salad had the house ginger dressing. Pretty typical. Dressing was sweet and had a good ginger flavor. The soup was over spiced. Way too much pepper. Next was my crispy pork b...

For lunch I tried another local place called The Brickhouse Restaurant in Prestonsburg, KY. I would have given it a 4 star review but the food prep and delivery was lacking. I'll explain... I was seated in the room furthest from the entrance. When I was seated, I was the second customer in the room. I had checked out the menu online before I went so I knew what I was going to order. I ordered my appetizer and a burger. I was followed by a party of 3 and a party of 6. The party of 6 looked to be a group of nurses who were celebrating a birthday. Well, of the 3 groups, I received my appetizer last. This kind of service really annoys me. I feel that it should be first come, first served, especially if I ordered first. So, that was the first thing. Next, on to the food. I ordered the Bada-Bing Shrimp appetizer and the Brickhouse Burger with seasoned crinkle cut fries. After finally receiving my appetizer, I dig in. Now, don't get me wrong, it was delicious. The shrimp were large to...

Typical Mexican fare, atypical flavor! This restaurant is a gem in Prestonsburg, KY. I always compare to the Mexican restaurant that I grew up with in my hometown. I've been going to that one for over 30 years. And I have my "go-to" dishes that I order everywhere so I can compare apples to apples. Let me tell you, El Rodeo Grande is definitely as good as that restaurant! I ordered a piña colada, an entrée called "A Little of Everything" with one ground beef taco, one tostada, one chile relleno, one enchilada, one tamale, rice and beans, and a banana chimichanga for dessert. Let's start with the piña colada. I've only ever had one better. That was at a restaurant that made it with ice cream. Unfortunately, that restaurant no longer makes them. At all. So, I would have to say that this piña colada is now number one on my list! Great flavor. Not too much alcohol. You can tell it's there but not overpowering. Chips and salsa: Chips are a little thicker t...

     Welcome to The Honest Traveling Foodie blog! My name is Trip. Good food is one of my passions. I love good food and I love trying new places. I travel all over the country for my job as a Project Manager. So, I figured why not combine two things that I enjoy? Food and travel!     So, why The HONEST Traveling Foodie? In my personal life, I value honesty and integrity. I want to present the food I review in the same light. Honesty about taste, quality, presentation, etc. Although I will occasionally comment on service, the majority of this blog will be dedicated to the food. Taste and presentation will be the focus. There will be no staging of food. I want to portray my food as is. Honestly.     Also, I believe in supporting local businesses. Wherever my travels take me, I do my best to avaid chains and fast food. Good or bad, I eat local.     As a side note: I will rarely review fast food. Anyone who has eaten fast food knows the quality ...

     So, for dinner this evening I tried a local place called Billy Ray's in Prestonsburg, KY.  The only reason I gave this restaurant a 3 out of 5 star rating is because of the customer service. Customer service was excellent. Otherwise it would have been a 2 star rating. I ordered sweet tea to drink, the fried mushroom appetizer, the seafood platter, and the tropical cake for dessert.      Unfortunately, all of the fried food seemed like it was pre-breaded frozen fare. The fried mushrooms were decent. The only saving grace was that the food runner, not the server, went to the kitchen himself and made me some fresh-from-scratch creamy horseradish for the mushrooms. For me, this is a must for fried mushrooms!      The seafood platter had 2 fish (unspecified) fillets, 5 fried shrimp, 2 fried scallops (yes, just 2), and 2 deviled crab. So, 4 fried proteins and 4 different frying styles. The fish fillets had a cornmeal crust, the shrimp wer...