Bugaboo Creek Steak House

A while ago, I said I wanted to compare Outback to Bugaboo Steak House. Well, I finally got to try Bugaboo for dinner and I have to say, I love it! You get more food for your money, the food tastes better and the wait-staff is much more attentive. Here's what we had:

Appetizer: We skipped a formal appetizer and asked for some bread and butter to start with. Served warm, the whole wheat bread was a perfect starter if you're not feeling hungry 

enough for a full appetizer. 

Main Course: The Portabella Bleu Cheese Filet was perfectly cooked and delicious. The bleu cheese wasn't too strong and didn't take over the flavor of the steak. For my sides, I ordered steamed veggies--which were good, but not fantastic--and a large loaded

baked potato, which to me is the match for a good steak. Bugaboo certainly met and exceeded my expectations. My friend ordered the Homestyle BBQ Meatloaf and literally was licking the plate it was so delicious. Topped with BBQ sauce, melted cheddar cheese, bacon and fried onion rings, this meatloaf is unlike any other meatloaf I've ever had. Needless to say, it was incredible!

Drink: What always goes great with a steak? BEER! Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat beer to be exact. Or, if you like a less exotic taste, a good ol' Budweiser will always do the trick.

Dessert: Bugaboo's signature Big Foot Chocolate Cookie was outstanding! Served warm, this cookie was still a little undercooked in the middle--no dry cookie here! When the ice cream melted into the cookie, it just got better and better by the bite. This dessert lasted about 4 minutes between my friend and I. I would highly recommend this dessert!

I really like Bugaboo Creek Steak House for both lunch and dinner. I think it's a great value for the amount of food they serve and the quality of the food. I won't even try to guess how many calories are in one meal here, but I will say there's enough to box up and take home for later. Bugaboo is a great place to eat when you're looking for homestlye food (or when you're too lazy to cook). Final Verdict: Bugaboo trumps Outback any day!

Chain Restaurants

It can only be expected, that every foodie will get tired of cooking for a bit, every now and then. This foodie is going through that lately. I've been frequenting some chain restaurants (don't scowl yet) in an effort to save money and get a quick bite to eat. Rather than giving a top 5 or 10 list (even though you must have picked up by now how I love list-making), I thought I would talk about one place at a time. 

Outback Steakhouse: As a child, I loved to eat here. I would down about 4 root beers in one sitting (leaving 12x more hyper than when we arrived). Until yesterday, I hadn't eaten here in almost 3 years! So, I decided to give it a try. 

Appetizer: Bloomin' Onion- although I'm a huge fan of onion rings, this restaurant specialty didn't impress me. The onion was so deep fried, it was hard to taste anything outside of the oil it was cooked in. Plus, the sauce was odd (it had bubbles in it).

Main Course: 12 oz. Outback Special- the sirloin center cut was mediocre. This could have been due to the fact that it was way overcooked, despite me asking for medium. I imagine the steak would have been quite tastey if it hadn't been overdone. The dish also comes with two sides: I picked Fresh Steamed Broccoli and a Loaded Baked Potato. The side dishes were great, perfectly cooked and delectable. 

Drink: Pinot Grigio, Estancia, California- Not bad for $7!

Desserts: Chocolate Chocolate Tower- A towering (this is not an exaggeration) chocolate layer cake with raspberry sauce. I also added whipped cream, which really added to the cake. The cake was so big, we took it home and saved half for later. 

I actually took half of my meal home and reheated it tonight for dinner. As a fan of leftovers, I think Outback reheats extremely well! So if the large portions are too large for you, don't be afraid to box it up and take it home. I think next week I'll try Bugaboo Creek for dinner and compare the two...stay tuned!

UPDATE (4/14/08): I gave Outback another chance this last weekend and tried a burger. What a difference! The Bacon Cheese Burger was phenomenal and cooked perfect. I would recommend the burgers over the steaks here any day! 

Vegas v. Boston

After a week long stay in Fabulous Las Vegas I started to think about all the fabulous food I had along the way. Although nothing trumps room service (read: I'm lazy), the food really was spectacular. On the plane ride back, my friend said that she didn't think the food in Boston was comparable. I, however, disagree. I'm glad to say that I found the food in Vegas really tasty, but I think that Boston does have really good food. I will admit that our restaurants aren't nearly as decorative as Vegas', but then again, when it comes down to it--I'll take good food over good decor any day. 

During some part of the 5 hour plane ride back, I made of list of places that I thought were comparable to the places we ate at in Vegas. If you ever do go to Vegas, this list is probably a good starting place for where to dine. In the meantime, at least you can rest assured that your not completely missing out!

Las Vegas 

1. Dos Caminos at the Palazzo - Great Mexican food, lots of choices in tequila and even had Sangrita, which is extremely hard to find in Boston.       

2. Canter's Deli at Treasure Island -Mile high sandwiches with fresh meats and breads. Also had my first frozen custard here!

3. The Grille at the Golden Nugget-Another quick sandwich place in Downtown Las Vegas that had the best hot dogs and fries. I almost felt like I was at Fenway with the Sports betting going on right behind the Grille. 

4. Grand Lux Cafe at the Venetian -A 24/7 cafe serving an array of food items. Finding this place at 5 am for breakfast was a treat!

5. Joe's at the Forum Shops at Caesar's Palace-I'm clearly biased since the Original Joe's is in Miami Beach, but they had wonderful seafood which was a nice change from the typical steakhouse in Vegas. 

Boston Counterparts

1. La Verdad Taqueria -Amazing Mexican food in a fun and decorative atmosphere. And yes, they serve Sangrita.

2. Zaftigs in Brookline - You can't go wrong at this classic Jewish deli. From sandwiches to cupcakes, this place will definitely fill you up just like your Jewish Grandma did!

3. Spike's Junkyard Dogs - For dogs and fries, this place can't be beat. Order one of the specialty dogs or just go for the Mutt (plain dog on a roll), everything is delicious.

4. Finale -Grand Lux Cafe is actually very hard to match since it does have a wide variety of food. I would have said Cheesecake Factory, but since it's owned by the same person, I wanted to suggest something different. Although, CF does deserve its round of applause for its consistently delicious food and desserts. 

5. Union Oyster House in Faneuil Hall- Without a doubt, better than any other seafood place in Boston!