Ordinary, Well Done

Stone Werks Big Rock Grille
5807 Worth Parkway

(in The Rim retail sprawl, off I-10 beyond 1604)

If you went to Stone Werks' original location years ago, when it was across from the Quarry on Jones-Maltsberger, and were dissatisfied with it, you might still want to check out its new incarnation of Big Rock Grilles. There are three of them in town now: the one at Broadway and Basse; one at Loop 1604 and Blanco; and this one, in the precious Rim shopping wasteland. They still do basically the same things, but they're doing it much better now.

The large, high-ceilinged dining room, tastefully appointed, is a far cry from the almost tawdry, cramped space of the restaurant's previous Stone Werks. The owners seem to have spared no expense in creating a pleasant environment, and except for the television sets in every corner, they have succeeded. 

The menu is extensive, with all the things you would find at, oh, every upscale burger joint in the Western world, and all briefly described with just a hint of pretension. Every variation of meat-in-bun dining that occurred to the creative minds behind the company, that could appeal to the post-modern suburban diner, and that could be replicated reliably, finds a niche on their list. And if you want something not listed, short of, perhaps, Soylent Green, you can probably get it: if they have it in their kitchen, it's yours for the asking.

We planned to see a film at the nearby megamovies, so we met early for lunch, just after the restaurant opened; they hadn't even had time to change the television feed away from the irritating satellite channel that tells you over and over how to use your remote; I seem to recall that channel being used as torture in some movie or other. No matter: I asked that it be changed, and it was, to something more easily ignored. In any case, because of our early arrival there was no shortage of seating — we weren't quite the only people there, but it was close. And our waiter was on us in a heartbeat, and a helpful young man he was, describing dishes and making recommendations, and admitting (and this is always important) that he didn't know when he didn't know. (And, of course, if he could find out, he did.)

Last city inspection: August 2012
8 demerts

We decided to split two burgers: the Bacon & Smoked Gouda, and the Lamb Burger. Both were good despite the prices. My lunch-mate had never, he says, had lamb before and didn't know what to expect. His verdict was that he couldn't really tell that it was any kind of different meat in the sandwich, and I can't disagree. The burger pattie did have the distinctive taste of lamb, but it was a weak and puny flavour unable to compete with the more powerful flavours of the other ingredients. A meek lamb is no match for a good bit of goat cheese, much less the exquisite flavour of prosciutto. Even a slice of red onion was a lion to our lamb. All in all, the ingredients in this sandwich make an interesting, even fascinating combination; but I don't doubt that it would be a better sandwich over all if it came with beef instead of lamb, and for at least a couple of dollars less.

The bacon cheeseburger was every bit as good as the lamb burger, though less filled with unusual ingredients. The bacon was properly cooked, to be crispy but not dry; the smoked flavour of the gouda was rich, and its texture was creamy and smooth; and the vegetables that complement the sandwich were fresh and flavourful. The beef was of a good quality, too, as was the bun, and it was just messy enough.

A Little Different

La Siberia
3018 Fredericksburg Road

(at Olmos Drive)

I went here in furtherance of my plan to review all the restaurants in the Hildebrand Corridor, that stretch of road from Trinity University to Monticello that is unusually thick, for the North Side, with Mexican and Tex-Mex kitchens. The first thing that struck me as unusual about the place is that it, possibly uniquely for this area, is not open for breakfast. (Surprising, because the sign in the front window advertises desayunos; but maybe it's an old sign.) It was thus somewhat unsurprising that they don't have breakfast options on their menu ... so, no chilaquile tacos today!

What they do have is a fairly extensive menu of Tex-Mex food, with some items not often found on menus at other places around town. I don't know the origin of the name, but I suspect it has to do with the white cream sauce used on many of the house specialties. You know: Siberia ... snow ... white ... cream sauce. Well, it's just a guess.

(photo from the restaurant web site)

The house specialty is tostadas. You can get your average Tex-Mex tostada here, but why would you? Try the Siberia: shredded chicken on a guacamole base, topped with crema, as in the picture here. 

For my meal, I chose a dish called chipotle especial. It consisted of the shredded chicken topped with another sauce, a cheese-tinged cream sauce with a hearty dose of chipotle for seasoning, served on a platter with rice, beans, corn tortillas, and totopos, the deep-fried corn tortillas that are used in tostadas. My sidekick Rick went with the beef fajita plate, also served with rice and beans, and flour tortillas.

His meal is easily dealt with. The meat was plentiful, properly cooked with peppers and onions to a slightly crunch-edged perfection. I thought the seasoning on it was a bit subdued ... understated ... weak. Still, in the universe of beef fajita meat in Paradise South, it was just a notch above average, and the quality of the meat itself contributed to that good opinion. 

My meal came with a first course of consommé, a large bowl of rice and vegetables in broth with a pleasant aroma of cilantro. Since cilantro is generally overdone, to the point where I condemn its use in my food, calling it "pleasant" is a great compliment to the cook. 

Everything on my plate was delicious. The refritos were creamy, and with none of that vaguely soapy taste that lard sometimes produces in the mix. The Spanish rice, though monochromatic, was tender and moist, with the slight flavour of chicken broth to it. (It's always best to have Spanish rice early in the day, as it does dry out; and we were there right at opening time, 11AM.) The chicken was plentiful, all white meat, finely shredded, and covered on the plate with that chipotle sauce, which was slightly thick and very flavourful. The totopos, broken into pieces, made an excellent device for transmitting the meat and sauce from plate to mouth, though the fried tortillas themselves were nothing to get excited about. 

Last city inspection: July 2012
13 demerits

The other accoutrements of a meal at La Siberia were average: a basket of reasonably good chips, a small bowl of reasonably good salsa, reasonably good coffee, and reasonably good tortillas, both flour and corn. The flour tortillas were clearly made in-house, but the corn tortillas had the uniformity that indicates machine-production. All these things were good enough to pass muster without detracting from the superior aspects of the meal.

The only complaint I have about the food, really, is that it must have had a lot of salt in it, as I have spent the afternoon craving water like a rabies victim. It's not as bad as when I lose all self-control and eat a slice of pizza from Pizza Hut, but it's still annoying. (I suspect it was the consommé.)

The place itself (which, I think, used to be a KFC store) is clean and comfortable, if unremarkable for its décor; let's call it functional and well-kept. It's not a large place, but neither is it cramped. One unusual aspect of the layout is that all the tables (all two-tops) are arranged in airliner-style: tables for four on the right, tables for six on the left. It looks odd, but I'm sure that, too, is functional.

The service is attentive and not overbearing. Our waitress was less comfortable with English than I am with Spanish, so we used both languages interchangeably. I didn't order a grilled tractor, and with that I am content. 

Prices are reasonable, about what you'd expect to pay. I noticed one dish that was more than ten bucks, but most are in the seven- to eight-dollar range.

A Better Expression

Corner Bakery Café

255 East Basse Road

(in the Quarry, at the southern end, closest to the Basin)

This sort of minimal-service restaurant is approaching done-to-death territory. Stand in line, order at the counter, and your food is brought to you at the table. National chains from Jason's Deli to Zoë's Kitchen to Pei Wei use it, as do local chains like Hearthstone Bakery Café and even single-outlet shops like Mina and Dimi's, the excellent Greek place out by Lackland. Theoretically, it exemplifies the benefits of capitalism: reduced wage and benefits costs translate eventually into lower prices for consumers.* I always wonder when those lower prices are going to kick in. I'm still wondering.

But the unremarkable prices aside, Corner Bakery Café does this type of restaurant a little better, in some ways, than its competition. The food here is well-prepared and there are many interesting choices, as at most similar restaurants. The added feature that I appreciate is that, here, the menu board shows basic nutritional information about the various dishes. I was thus able to make my choices with more confidence that I would not be surprised to find unexpected fatty additions to my lunch. It also reminded me, at the moment of crisis, that I would rather have a light, low-calorie lunch than a gigantic sandwich or other heavy dish.

The caloric information on the menu board prompted me to order a soup-and-salad trio, consisting of spicy Thai coconut soup, edamame salad, and tuna salad. It had less effect on my friend Rick — who, to be fair, is less obviously in need of self-restraint on that score; he ordered a Reuben sandwich. We also agreed to split a peanut-butter whoopie pie, because I kept my eyes off the menu board and on the display case long enough to forget the concept of will-power. Plus I deserved the reward for having been good already in ordering my main meal. Does this remind anyone else of an Aesop's fable? I have The Lion and the Lamb in mind.

As we were fixing our own drinks, the counter attendant came over and apologetically told Rick that they were "out of Reuben." I'm not going to speculate on what, exactly, that means — perhaps their cabbage didn't rot on schedule — but the upshot was he chose instead a turkey club sandwich as his lunch.

We naturally started with dessert, as Life Is Short. It was unimpressive, which was doubly disappointing, as the Corner Bakery, you would think, would excel at baking. This whoopie pie was two under-flavoured sticky, soft chocolate cakes held together by a peanut-butter-flavoured center. Now, my own experience of whoopie pies (or, as I prefer to think of them, woofie pies) comes from the forests of Maine, where they were apparently invented by people who get more than ordinarily excited about naming desserts. (I know some partisans misguidedly argue that whoopie pies originated with the Amish, but if that were true — and it isn't — no one would ever have known.) Anyway, the Corner Bakery's whoopie pie was too sticky and too chewy and too mild to be mentioned in the same breath as one you might get at any general store in Penobscot County.

The other foods were similar in their adequacy. The spicy Thai coconut soup was indeed spicy, and had a rich tomato base, but the coconut flavouring was so faint that I had to ask an employee to look at it and tell me what kind of soup it was. The edamame salad was reasonably fresh and crisp, and the unexpected serving of plain ol' green salad that I found on my plate beside it was also nice enough. Nothing special, though.  The tuna salad was a little on the dry side, but if you like a little crunch in your tuna salad (I'm not wild about it, myself) you'll appreciate the chunks of celery and red onion, sufficient to sharpen the dish without being overbearing. I would, though, have liked a cracker or a piece of bread to have with it.

Rick's panini-pressed turkey club was pretty good in flavour; sourdough bread, lots of turkey, some tasty bacon (and yes, I know, "tasty bacon" is redundant, but I like the rhythm of the phrase), and the tomato in it was juicy and flavourful. It also had a seasoned mayonnaise sauce that added just the right amount of moisture, and complemented the flavour of the other ingredients nicely. Overall, it was the best thing we had at that lunch.

Last city inspection: April 2012
16 demerits

Besides the nutritional information on the menu boards, where the Corner Bakery really excels is in the ambiance of the place. The interior is very comforting, with a high techno-chic black ceiling with old-fashioned light fixtures, large windows surrounding the dining area, café curtains, and a dark hard-wood floor to give the place the charm of a Gilded-Age bistro. The booths and tables are mahogany stained wood, adding to the illusion of grace and charm, and a room divided topped with fluted glass completes the theme. There is a deck surrounded by trees just out to the south, which, when the weather moderates, should be a wonderful place to relax. The traffic of Basse Road and, more surprisingly, US 281, are separated by only a short distance from the deck, but because of the drop in terrain and the curtain of trees, they seem invisible to customers. I made it a point to step out on the balcony and gauge the noise level from the road, and was pleasantly surprised to find it inoffensive.

* Of course, in theory, over time the relative higher profits for this type of restaurant, and the relative lower profits for the traditional type, will drive more restaurateurs to switch to the minimal-service restaurant, reducing the number of traditional table-service restaurants and creating greater competition among minimal-service restaurants, thus shaving profits and lowering prices to consumers. Maybe we're just getting to that stage.