Tummy Tukwila

I'm snowed in and am dreaming of eating out, even in Tukwila (it's the cabin fever). Here's my personal countdown of the Top Tummy Tukwila Moments of 2008. Drum Roll....... #5. No more Sushi Land! Southcenter Mall reopens complete with a Blue C Sushi. Blue C is the Tummy Tukwila lunch savior. Blue C (and DeDe)....we love you! #4. The Psychic Paleontologist at Taco Del Mar. R and I witnessed the unsettling archeological dig at the serving line. This is also the woman who licked her burrito. The downside.....the Taco Queen is MIA. :( #3. Discovering a safe and natural Yeast Infection Cure . Thanks to the Birdkiller's super reading skills, B and R learn that yogurt at ceFiore is effective in the global fight against deadly (or at least uncomfortable) yeast. #2. The Trip . After an uneventful food court lunch, R decides to spice things up by unleashing a hip and horrifying tripping detonation. It was like the Energizer Bunny…it went on and on and on...... #1. Southcenter ...

After identifying the closest Safeway to the office (for the annual food drive competition...and also I hate Safeway, I mean I really hate Safeway ) which happens to be in the joyful town of Burien, R identified a lunch location to build up our shopping energy. Guess what folks...we went somewhere we've never been before....Elliott Bay Brewing Company! I was quite cautious at first due to the fact that the strip shopping mall in which this establishment is located is like a little Guadalajara in Seattle. I was a cynic and thought, how good could this place be, I mean its next door neighbors are a Mexican herbal shop and a stripper shoe store. To my surprise, the decor, ambiance and food at Elliott Bay are delicious. Our waitress, Freda, was dressed in a cozy hoodie, which normally I disapprove of, however after experiencing the dress code at Joey's I find clothing coverage quite refreshing. I had the fish and chips- the chips portion was addictive and the fish was delicious. T...

J was out having lunch in George Town with Long Lost Friend , so it was just B, the Bird Killer and I for lunch, and since the Compound's annual Food Drive competition is on, a trip to Safeway was in order. The only Safeway I know of around here is in Burien - so I figured this was finally my chance to talk the guys into lunching on some amazing pub food at the Elliot Bay Brewing Co. in Burien. EBBC is a favorite of mine - the one located in West Seattle has always been the place to get a pitcher of Raz-n-Stout when there was any kind of celebrating or lamenting to be had. Last year an EBBC opened in Burien, and I have since been trying to talk B & J into going for lunch. The concern was always that it was in Burien (aka: Rat City) and that it was far away. Today at least B learned otherwise, and a delicious time was had by all. A low light of the afternoon was the fruit stand 5 doors down from EBBC where over-ripe bananas were stacked up for a quick sale. The smell of them cau...

Thanksgiving is only two days away, so most of my coworkers are already out. And since Southcenter mall is still fresh from its 3rd shoot-out in 10 years - it is the return of the Lonely Lesbian Lunch - safe at my desk in the Compound! Today's hot water and noodles is flavored with mushrooms. Delicious. Happy Thanksgiving!

Hi Folks-It's Friday and we've run out of the proverbial "steam" when it comes to creative lunch ideas, so where did we go? Blue C---kidding...Chipotle. As always, I promised not to order a wonderfully delightful chicken burrito with yum-0 bacon pinto beans, and I finally came through!! I had the fajita burrito bowl. I must say that although I cut out about 350 calories without the tortilla, I missed the wrapping. The burrito "snuggle factor" was missing. Don't get me wrong, the bowl was delicious- but a burrito without a tortilla is like a body without underwear. Speaking of underwear, J, R and I were lucky enough to sit in the lone booth at the South Center location. The question is- is it a booth or a boob? I thought all the boobs were at Joey's. :) Food: 4.5/5 Atmosphere: 5/5 (men in uniform were present) Boob times: 5/5

We've all been either too busy or too lazy to write about our lunchtime adventures, but know this - we have had lunches - some were fabulous, others were sadly disappointing (Mali Thai) and at least one was down-right scandalous (Joey's). So to make up for the long absence, I'll thrill you with our adventure to: Joeys (their apostrophe is missing, not mine)... Even though I was warned , I had to see it for myself. Joey's is Cowboy Ugly and the Pussy Cat Dolls Lounge all rolled into one, great-big southend jack shack. To get the full effect, we sat in the bar where all the waitresses are 1. Former female strippers, 2. Current female strippers, and 3. Really know how to sex up an entree so you'll want to buy it. At first, I was overcome with the smart, sleek interior design. I felt like I was at The Parker in Palm Springs . The architecture is open and modern, the colors hip, and the booths are sleek. I was so busy ogling the fabulous design that I didn't even s...

On the suggestion of one of our readers: M - J and I hit the all-you-can-eat sushi belt at O Sushi. My first impression: a casino buffet in Reno, Nevada. Now, the food was pretty good - especially great for those of you who love sushi, but hate raw fish. There were numerous iterations of the California Roll (deep fried, with chicken katsu, with BBQ sauce, with spicy sauce, deep fried with BBQ and spicy sauce, etc.), and very few rolls with raw fish. Since J and I were sitting about 14 down from the beginning of the belt, the people ahead of us were getting the good rolls before us. J ate many a plate of chicken katsu (one extra plate just to wash down a bad-tasting spicy tuna roll), and also sampled the gamut of California rolls. It was probably the first time in T2 history that J has eaten more sushi than me, though his 6 plates to my 4 were due to the fact that I'm highly allergic to avocado, and nearly every roll had some. Maybe what was Reno-creepy about O Sushi was the decor:...

Today J and R were on their own, and in search of a new dining adventure, were (mis)treated to lunch at the brand new IHOP near the Chipotle. In his entire 34 years of existence, J had heretofore avoided ever eating at one of these pancake establishments. Now, sadly, this is no longer true, and he will never be pure again. The decor of the Westfield Shoppingtown Southcenter IHOP can only best be described as "churchy"--it had that new construction feeling one gets when they go inside one of those weird mega-churches. Everything is bright, sunshiney and yellow, with the exception of the gray industrial grade carpet. An advertisement at the door proclaimed the area a Fruity Crepe Fiesta. J and R were seated by a young, fruity crepe fresh off the Ioway farm, who has yet to learn that there are way better restaurants to work at than IHOP, and that the kind of fiesta he's looking for only happens on Capitol Hill. He was quickly replaced by our pleasant, yet phony, server who i...

Today's blog is dedicated to Dede - the best darned waitress this side of the Mississippi. Dede schleps sushi accoutrements to all the hungry people of Tukwila, Monday - Friday at Blue C Sushi in Tukwila. A note to others: no one better mess with her patrons - or there will be hell to pay! While waiting to check out, another waiter attempted to "steal" Dede's table - B and I are wishing him well as he recuperates in intensive care, Haborview. Other than receiving spectacular service, we also received: a mall stalking, an offer to purchase illegal substances at the generic cell phone store, a couple of false signals from the gaydar signal, and an unwelcome, over-zealous sales woman's attention at the Kitchen Store. Food: 5/5 Entertainment: 5/5 Broken gaydar equipment: 0/5

The Taco Queen is still MIA. Meanwhile, Taco Del Mar has decided to go green! Instead of those #6 plastic enchilada trays, you get cornstarch based plastic which is compostable and biodegrades within 12 days. Kudos to TDM! And blessings to the Taco Queen, wherever she may be...

Last week B rolled J's fingers up in the car window. This week he dropped the other F-bomb. What's next for our B? Tune in next week when he amazes all of us with his incredibly smooth pick-up skills.

...and fingers. Food 3/5 Good times 4/5 Near medical emergencies 0/5

It's not Tukwila, and it's not a weekday, but I just had to write about it... While in Phoenix yesterday, my dear friend La Cobra took me to the best Mexican supermarket... ever, Ranch Market . It was much like Seattle's Uwajimaya , with a huge food court, billions of food items that one can only guess at their contents, and a enormous butcher area filled with stacks of red meat, animal body parts - even the occasional animal face. It really was a wonderland, and La Cobra was a perfect guide to lead me to the section of the market that had about 15 different selections of fruit juice and horchata. After having a horchata and getting lost in the piles of chiles and fresh tortillas, La Cobra and I decided to head out for Mexican food at a place down the road. The name of it.. can't remember, but the food was delicious and the decor - kitschy. I had the veggie burrito, and La Cobra had enchiladas. We chowed our food while watching the Spanish version of "Epic Movie...

Since B is still out on vacation, and J and I have both had colds this past week, we decided it was a good time to try Old Saigon Pho in Southcenter's industrial park. I had a dish called "Vegetarian Delight" that was mostly comprised of cabbage and tofu swimming in a sad, watery, half-peppered sauce, floating around a bed of white rice. It was literally, the most depressing thing I've ever eaten. To make matters worse, it seemed that everything I touched had a sticky film - the salt shaker, the table, the ponzu bottle, the rooster sauce bottle, the backs of the fake flowers on our table, even some of the guests looked sticky. J had the "give me the cow" beef noodle pho which included a variety of cow bits in a steaming bowl of beef "from the can" broth. He seemed depressed as well. All of this had us wishing we had gone to Sizzler instead. To make up for all this sadness, a trip to Red Mango was in order. The fro yo with the Golden Grahams helped ...

While B is on vacation, and J lunches with some lady who usually stands him up (let's call her Little Miss Unreliable Lunch Date, or ULD for short), I decided to stay in, catch up on world news and eat some garlic water for lunch. Yes, it's the return of the Loneliest Lesbian Lunch: Trader Joe's garlic noodle soup... not nutritious, but semi-delicious anyway. I hope everyone else is enjoying an exciting lunch today.

B had lunch at Joey's with a colleague, MF (making her T2 debut) based on J's previous recommendation. The food was quite good, although a little pricy for lunch (especially in Tukwila). The highlight of the meal was the skinny fries; they are quite skinny and quite delicious. The other items that were quite skinny (and here, skinny translates into microscopic) were the outfits on the female employees. When I first walked in I thought I was at a strip club and was waiting for dance poles to descend from the ceiling at any minute. I swear it looked like the official Joey's uniform for females was purchased at "Whores R Us". YIKES! So if you've just been released from prison and haven't seen a woman in years, Joey's is your place. Be sure to bring plenty of one dollar bills. Food: 3.5/5 Good Times: 4/5 A modicum of dignity and class 1/5

...but you're still in Tukwila. Recently, the Compound replaced the carpet on the back-entrance staircase with this new, rubber-textured flooring. To make us all feel we're in the grand halls of the state capitol, they applied marble-esque tape along the edge (as seen here in this photo). At first, we all thought they had made a mistake and forgot to glue something down, but then we realized - as always, it was just the poor taste of the Compound's property management company. As weird as it looks, it won't be long before it's covered in filth and blends in with its surroundings. Speaking of blending... J and I went to Blue C today and everyone in the place looked like everyone else. I surmised that Blue C attracts a certain (high) class of people, J agreed. As usual - DeShawnda served us, and the food was excellent. Meanwhile, B is downtown hanging out with the Navy. I'm sure his blog will be more interesting than mine. Food: 5/5 Compound Atmosphere: -5/5 TGIF:...

Today, while B dined with the Power Womon , J and I ventured out of the Tukwila area for lunch at our favorite Mexican restaurant, Tacos Guaymas in White Center. Set in the center of downtown White Center, Guaymas offers authentic Mexican food, a deliciously fresh and interesting salsa bar (complete with limes and pickled radishes), horchata and Telemundo on the TVs that can be found in each of the two dining areas. Guaymas is perfect for cold, cloudy Seattle days like today. It's definitely on my comfort food list. Food: 5/5 Atmosphere: 3/5 (minus 2 points for feeling worried that I may end up in the crossfire of a drive-by while dining in White Center)

Adding to B's blog - - I had been to the Mongolian Grill a few years back, and I don't remember hearing Spirit 105.3 (local religious music channel) playing in the background, and definitely don't remember the painting depicting Jesus during one of his famous events on the wall near the cash register. Really... I felt like I was in Utah. Strange that going to the MGrill has become a religious occassion. Regardless, the food was okay, the service was headed up by a control freak and the atmosphere has seriously gone downhill. We'll get you for this J. Food 2/5 Atmosphere 1/5 Bitterness 5/5

J cheated on B and R. J reported that he'd be lunching with "another" at the Mongolian Grill in the Target Shopping Plaza (I just made up that name). B and R thought it would be humorous to drop in on the "secret luncheon rendezvous" to both enjoy some Mongolian style food—whatever that is— and to confront the infidelity. Adding insult to injury, J was not at the grill when B and R arrived. He and the other woman decided to eat at Joey’s at South Center instead. The Mongolian Grill is very “guy-centric”- R was the only woman there for quite a while. The fill-your-own bowl concept was entertaining, until the sauce making station. Big choices, with little instruction on making the perfect flavor composition. At this point, I just closed my eyes and hoped for the best. The result was slightly above average. The décor was lackluster, almost depressing even with the smiling faces of ancient Mongols painted on the wall. Who knew that camping could make someone so hap...

Today, J ditched B&R in favor of a special guest lunch star, Long Lost Friend. LLF pulled a fast one, initially selecting some scary Mongolian Grill as our lunch destination, then switching mid-drive to the new Joey's at none other than Westfield Shoppingtown Southcenter (B&R were not happy about LLF's choice--I'm sure there will be more details forthcoming). Joey's decor is a little overdone for the Southcenter lunch crowd--the place screamed "meat market" to J as soon as he entered the establishment. Satiny hostess stations, silky chairs, and velvety booths festoon the interior (and patio)--they look nice now, but will be totally skanky with ground-in body soil in a year. The "washrooms" were also a little strange. The men's room featured black and white checkered marble, smoked glass stall doors, and a wall-sized photo of a forest with urinals hanging from the trees. The wait staff was friendly, but awkward. The hostess was shiny and p...

"Have You Done the Belt? It's Dangerous!" We actually heard someone say that as they walked by our booth at Blue C today (sorry Unicorn Pony Dreamcatcher , Sizzler will have to wait for another day). They were referring to the conveyor belt style delivery of sushi that makes Blue C so great. And yes, it is dangerous: before your done with your first plate of self-served sushi, you're already reaching for the next. Before you know it - you've eaten 9 plates.... ahh , delicious danger! In other news, J has started carrying his camera case as a murse . A while back, B and J gave me puh - lenty of grief over the Italian leather satchel that I had started carrying around after a trip to Florence a couple of years back - "Hey look everyone, R's carrying a purse!" Whatev . At least J won't be able to make fun of me anymore... I'm bringing back the Euro-bag!  

Not much I can add to J's posting, except that while I really enjoyed my experience at Duke's, I was dismayed by the signs on the bathroom doors: Duke of Earl, and Duke of Earl's Girls (men's and women's bathroom respectively). Funny, but not. Happily, my soup and salad were the best I'd had in a very long time. Anyway - thanks for the suggestion meilee! Sizzler is next on the list. Food: 5/5 Atmoshphere: 4/5 (minus one point for sexist signage)

With B allegedly stuck in an unfortunate meeting, it was only R&J who were adventurous enough to take on a fan recommendation dare, and headed for lunch at Duke's Chowder House at Westfield Shoppingtown Southcenter. The anticipation upon entering the mall was palpable...what lay behind those blue doors--untold culinary delights or kitchen nightmares? R was struck by the decor, proclaiming the establishment "cute," though J, being fussy, was much harder to please. He found the atmosphere to be kitschy, but not unpleasant, and reminscent of the homes of Minnesota where he grew up, full of artfully placed fishing rods and tackle. Noticeably absent were the dead fish mounted on the wall, of which there were none at Duke's. R appreciated the plaid carpet; it made J feel like he was eating on a dog blanket. The waitstaff there was all female: clean, professionally dressed, and blandly hot in a women's volleyball team sort of way. They were quick to grind fresh peppe...

R&J will be making an appearance today around 12:45 at Duke's Chowder House at Westfield Shoppingtown Southcenter for a fan recommendation! If you can find us, we'll be signing autographs.

We had lunch with The Chef today. The Chef is queen of Foodland, and I was more than happy to comply when she requested that we eat at Taco Del Mar. Of all the delicious choices in the Tukwila area, TDM is possibly one of the tastiest, but of course you, and The Chef know this already. Speaking of queens: B sleuthed the location of the missing Taco Queen! Apparently, the Taco Queen has been on assignment in Bellevue, and will be returning to Tukwila in just a few more weeks! Check back on Friday afternoon when we critique Duke's Chowder House at the request of reader "meilee." Food: 5/5 (of course) Entertainment: 5/5 (thanks to Chef, and to B for figuring out where the Taco Queen had gone)

R fell in the air like a swan out of water lovely disaster.

Where in Tukwila should the T2 Team eat next? Give us your suggestion - we'll eat there and blog about it.

Yikes. There I was, casually walking out of the mall past some construction that was being doing on the floor, and WHAM! I nearly owned the mall. The tripping seemed to last forever. I remember thinking... when will it ever end? I tripped on some uneven flooring, kept on tripping, took out the "fencing" they had placed inside the hole in the floor, tripped some more, and then miraculously - I righted myself. With half the mall staring at me, all I could do was laugh myself silly. I never thought I would say this, but I blame a burrito. Today I ate at the new Mexican food restaurant, Sharky's in the Westfield food court. The burrito was like eating a gummy tortilla that had been stuffed with garbage disposal waste. I was sick to my stomach, and busy recovering from an awkward, scent-overkill stop with B and J at The Body Shop when the nearly-tragic event occurred. I was light-headed, nauseous, and vulnerable. I'm really just shocked that I didn't fall flat on my ...

I know it's unusual, and maybe even a bit on the unholy side, but B and I had lunch with the Bird Killer today at Taco Del Mar. Lunching with the enemy is not usually something I would even consider, however, we did get to ride in his so-called "premium-luxury sports car for young, aggressive males" although, the car was neither premium-luxury (I think that description expires after 10 years, BK), nor was he young and aggressive since he's pushing 40, and it took us 20 minutes to get back from the Southcenter area, which is usually only a 10 minute drive. He also demonstrated how to wrap a baby in the "Mummy Swaddle" using a bottle of hot sauce and a paper napkin, which was both weird and amusing. So at least lunchtime entertainment was different from the usual, and all of this makes for semi-interesting blog writing. The Taco Queen is still MIA, though we're starting to think she has been dethroned and a new, Evil Taco Queen is standing in her place. Al...

R and I had a highly memorable lunch today, not only because we visited Taco del Mar (I know, we’re stuck in a rut) for fish tacos, but more so for our lunch guest. New J or as I’ll call him, “the Birdman” joined us and provided significant levels of both entertainment and disbelief. Interesting tidbits: 1) We were driven to lunch in a 10 year old Audi A4 owned by Birdman that is frequently referred to by him as a “premium luxury sports car for young aggressive males”. The ride was not premium, luxury or aggressive—so much so that a colleague diving a 20 year old Mazda Protégé (with no brake lights) smoked us. 2) There’s a new Taco Queen in town, who I believe could win an extreme fighting match (against the men). She’s not messing around, so I highly recommend knowing your order in advance, speaking clearly and moving on to the next station in a quick and orderly fashion. Only make direct eye contact as a last resort. 3) The plates at TDM are apparently defective and do not work right...

Previously, R asked, "Where have all the hotties gone?", well folks, they're at Blue C at South Center. Not only was the food devilishly delicious, but there were several scrumptious items on display that were not on the menu. B had a smile on his face today from the sesame noodles and the wait staff who served them. Oh, and R was there too. Food: 5/5 Best Blue C experience to date! Goodtimes: 5/5 The boys of Blue C: 5/5

Blue C Sushi - it's just too dang hard to resist, and today - it was the best ever! Every dish was fresh and perfectly seasoned, DeShawnda was our server, and B was falling in love all over the place . Food: 5/5 Goodtimes: 5/5

After two major disappointments today at Taco del Mar, including no Taco Queen and an inoperable credit card machine (are you kidding me, that's like running out of tacos) we ended up at Chipotle. As you know, I love Chipotle and feel that every lunch there is “burrito-ful and fajita-ful”; however, our special lunch guest Power Womon came close to a nervous breakdown due to ordering pressure. No PW, when you order a burrito, you get one burrito, not three –multiples only work with tacos or at Claim Jumpers. As always, there were several fashion disasters including jeans so tight on a Chipotle patron that it made scuba outfits look baggy. After lunch (and yogurt) we traveled to Party City (I thought the store was going green or was closed by not having the lights on, but apparently they have ultra-tinted store front windows) to purchase baby shower décor for a colleague. R swears she’s never been to a baby shower before, however she has a “sixth sense” that led her right to the baby...

Yesterday we ate at Mali Thai, because it was near Best Buy and J wanted to go there afterward lunch to redeem his birthday money for an ultra-faboo, 35mm digital camera. The first couple of times we ate at Mali Thai, it was filled with hottie waitresses - but that was a couple of years ago, and now the waitresses are just average. My best guess is that the hotties are off helping to open, and sucker-in more customers at some other Thai restaurant. It's good Thai food, but not nearly as entertaining as it used to be. Today, B and I put aside our differences and had lunch with Power Womon (J is "working" from home). PW usually only eats small amounts of meat and pineapple, but we talked her into trying a fish taco at Taco Del Mar only to find that TDM's credit card machine was down, none of us had cash and the Taco Queen is still MIA. Note to PW: You escaped fish tacos this time, but eventually you'll try them - and love them. Afterwards it was off to Party City to...

Dear World, Unless you are at the Renaissance Festival, or on Survivor , it is not socially appropriate to eat meat directly off a stick. This means you. Love, J Food (Mali Thai) 3/5 Good times 5/5 Birthday Cameras 5/5

After reading R’s misguided and maniacal attack, I feel I must respond to the TT readership. Yes, I did stray from R and J today, however, based on R’s recent poor attendance record at TT lunch events, I’ve had to take matters in my own hands. Who knew if R would even show up for lunch or if she would be lunching again with her “sister”? R’s nemesis, B (the one I had lunch with) and I had a delightful and nutritious lunch at Whole Foods in South Lake Union. I appreciated the pleasant weather, superb company and no Tukwila. So while R was stewing with gastronomic jealously, (sorry J) I was enchanted with dining excellence. So, don’t cry for me, Tummy Tukwila, the truth is I never left you. Food: 4/5 Good times: 5/5 Dining with someone who actually showed up: 5/5

There is a black mark in today's Tummy Tukwila history... B had lunch with an old nemesis of mine: The Artificial Woman. B is hereby on notice, and must buy me lunch and fro yo with two toppings to make up for it, due by this time next. Meanwhile, as B was busying himself with traitor activities (complete with plotting to topple my administrative rights to TSquared ), J and I ventured out of Tukwila city limits for a Friday lunch at Luna Park Cafe in West Seattle. The food was delicious, as usual and the weather was nicer in WS than in Tukwila , as usual. We enjoyed a leisurely lunch and somehow managed to get back to the office in less than 90 minutes. West Seattle is not that far from Tukwila , so next time you're looking to change it up, hop on I-5 and take the 12 minute trip to the sunnier, friendlier west-side. Food: 4/5 Good times: 5/5 Betrayal: 0

Today's lunch led to some divisive spatting between R and B, when R announced she was ditching the TSquared crew in favor of eating lunch with her mysterious "sister." B announced that R's role as TSquared president was on the precipice, and it wouldn't take much more non-joining from her to be pushed over the end into culinary oblivion, forced instead to eat noodles in garlic water at her desk until the end of days. J suspects a struggle for power is in play, and he's staying out of it. Lunch today consisted of a trip to Westfield Shoppingtown Southcenter (where else?), where both J and B selected Panda Express as their culinary choice? Why, you may ask, dear reader? Because running the cash register was none other than Mui, a long lost favorite of yesteryear, whom J had written off as a casualty of the destruction of the original, hope-I-don't-get-shot-here, Southcenter food court. Mui seemed slightly subdued, as if she had taken a Quaalude before worki...

Okay, okay... I was gone for a week - I took a tour of Minnesota, Wisconsin and had a day in Chicago with my partner, J (yet another J for you to keep track of) for her cousin's wedding. But here is my report - Tummy Tukwila at large: Good food in Minnesota, for the most part, is scarce - and at the Mall of America, it's just plain weird. J and I dared ourselves to eat at Bubba Gump , a Forrest Gump theme restaurant, and like the movie, the restaurant gave me indigestion. J is an avid deep-fry fan, but Bubba's actually exhausted her desire for all things deep-fried for something like 3 days (totally unheard of). Our meal consisted mostly of deep-fry: deep-fried fish, deep-fried shrimp, french fries, and some alcohol to wash it down. I ordered these shrimp/fish deep-fried balls and they were tasty in a omg - this is totally clogging my arteries sort of way. J is usually pretty adventurous when it comes to food, but not even she dared to order the "Boat Trash" ...

B ditched the regular group to have a team celebration lunch at the Cheesecake Factory. The "new" J from the previous post (see I've Never Heard of a BJ's Before) got married and of course, my preferred way to celebrate anything is with food.......big food. Some memorable moments included: a pear and endive salad with no dressing (no wonder it was only 590 calories), sharing highly effective Supermarket Sweeps techniques (always go for the cheese, olive oil and baby formula and leave the tic-tacs) and learning why B would be a great Olympic diver (it's all about elevating the spring board to it's highest potential). Will original J, R and B ever have lunch together again? Stay tuned. Food: 4.5/5 (my sandwich had bacon, an automatic +1.0 bonus) Good Times: 3.5/5 Thinking about having to wear an Olympic diving swimsuit 1/5

B and J (with another J) branched out to experience another new South Center eatery. Today's extra special event occurred at BJ's (which we think stands for either Barbara Jean or Big & Jumbo). The extra special event was J's birthday celebration…well maybe not. Our aggressive, chirping bulldozer of a server (she had the word "belly" on her name badge) was disappointed when we refused to order dessert before we had finished even half of our lunch. But, I'm getting ahead of myself. New J ordered shrimp tacos with chipotle mayo (but refused to admit there was any mayo on the taco), old J ordered a hungry man size chicken fried steak and B surprised everyone and ordered chicken fingers (I know, it's very old J like). Gossip and Olympics talk followed. Overall, the food was average. We did stop at Red Mango afterward, which made everything better, especially with the free honey topping for the yogurt (or so we hear...). Food: 2/5 (pre-yogurt) 3.5/5 (post-y...

R and J had a boring lunch today. Or did something else happen that demands their silence??? Interesting.....

The only thing notable about today's south-side adventure was J's double, bacon cheeseburger from Johnny Rockets. When he dropped it on the table, I'm not kidding, it made a thud.

There's a lonely blackbird stuck in the Westfield Shopping Towne South Center Food Court. It's pacing back and forth, back and forth looking for escape. R is very sad for the bird.

Posting a day late, but J needed some recovery time for this one... Food always tastes a little better with some spice, but too much of a good thing can cause indigestion. J learned this lesson as he sojourned yet again to Blue C sushi with special guest diner, M. Unfortunately for Blue C, a conveyor belt malfunction caused them to open asbout half an hour late, drawing the ire of a crabby, and apparently ravenously hungry M, whose pointed barbs and passive agressive stance made even the sassy J cringe with embarassment. The poor gay slip of a thing manager was nearly reduced to tears, unable to assuage the fiery wrath of M despite his best attempts. Of course, by the time we sat down to eat, the sushi was warm and the hot dishes cold. Tempers, however, were still hot, and not even the excellent spicy tuna rolls compared to that heat. J will not be able to show his face there for some time. J's ratings: Food 2.5/5 Good times 0/5