Good Frickin' Chicken
A couple of years ago somebody told me about Good Frickin’ Chicken on Mission. Since it was so close to Vida’s preschool we headed there one evening. When we walked in I realized that it was more a take-out place and that they didn’t have French fries. I remember Vida’s mood wasn’t the sunniest and that I had promised French fries with dinner. They specialized in some nice looking roasted potatoes but I was sure that wouldn’t cut it with a cranky child.
I have been playing tennis with the mother of Vida’s friend M—one of the last KMS friends we keep in contact with. After tennis one afternoon the topic of Good Frickin’ Chicken came up. V’s husband mentioned that he was a huge fan of their hummus as well as their rotisserie and grilled chicken. I was inspired to try the place again since I knew that Vida would now be fine with the menu. When we got there I saw that GFC had expanded. They now had a full dining room. We sat down and perused the menu. One of the sides they offered was macaroni and cheese, currently one of Vida’s favorite things to eat so I felt like the meal would probably go well I ordered a side of hummus and a half a rotisserie chicken.
The hummus was disappointing. I have yet to find a hummus that can compete with Truly Mediterranean. It came with pita bread that was on the oily side and encrusted with herbs. It was a bit rich and strong for my taste since I was already dipping it into oily hummus. I ate it more or less happily anyway but Truly Med came to mind with almost every bite. The chicken was delicious and Vida pronounced that the mac and cheese was “pretty good”.
The following week was the Rainbow Room potluck. Last year we got off easy and only had to bring a drink but this year we were on main course. There was no way I could cook anything in between work and the potluck at 6:15. I decided to run down to GFC and get chicken and mac and cheese so at the very least there would be something there I wanted to eat. As families started to filter in it was clear that chicken was a very popular choice. Along with our chicken there was chicken from probably every supermarket and fast food joint in the area. Whole chicken and chicken wings fried and roasted. There was also a selection of macaroni and cheese. What I brought kind of got lost in the shuffle—Vida thought someone else’s mac and cheese and chicken looked better so passed altogether on GFC.
After that experience I think I’ll pass on GFC for a while.
Restaurant Total: 215
Taqueria La Castro Pizzetta 211 Andalu
Yesterday I was discussing the 1st grade physical with another mom. Vida is still in the 90% percentile for height and weight and her chilled out doctor says she is perfectly proportional and extremely healthy all around. Her friend Z’s doctor is another parent at their school and is a little more uptight. She drills the parents on T.V. watching, family dinners and diet—they got brownie points for telling her that they didn’t go out for dinner that much. I thought about what I would say to that question . . .that we go out every week if possible? I’m sure she is more worried about fast food. Surely the average family doesn’t take their kids out for sushi every other week.
The beginning of the school year has of course been extremely busy—meetings, the new soccer team etc.--so we haven’t gone out much. El Castillito is now La Castro Taqueria so we made a couple of visits to the new but pretty much the same burrito place. I can’t wait to go to a taqueria that is truly unique or especially delicious.
Surely the doctor would frown on the restaurant Andalu on 16th, which I visited with some work people. Their eclectic menu was small plate oriented and very rich. My favorite dish was the “sliders”-- three very small hamburgers. Most of the other things, a steak dish, and a fish dish were unremarkable but having started with a house margarita I didn’t care very much. I remember eating and talking but not much in between. If Vida were there she would have probably hated everything except the steak and French fries and she probably would have spent a good 10 minutes chewing the steak which was on the tough side.
Having driven past Andalu twice a day almost every day of the week for a few years now I was intrigued but I didn’t exactly want to waste my own money. Going with someone who was picking up the tab seemed like a good idea. I had heard that it was kind of a hipster joint and over rated and now that I have eaten there I know that for sure.
Before things got so busy with school we did go to Pizzetta 211 on California with our friends B and P. It was a nice night and we sat outside and sipped on rose while the girls climbed on benches. Pizzetta 211 is a tiny restaurant and we were lucky to get a table in a reasonable amount of time. It is truly a wonderful pizza place. They keep it simple offering a small selection of pizzas and a few salads. The girls had a plain cheese pizza while B and I shared a calzone and another pizza. The house salad is offered with a couple of cheeses that change regularly. The second glass of rose and the flourless chocolate cake rounded out a practically perfect meal.
B gets extra points and a paragraph of her own because she is probably the only person that I have mentioned this blog to that actually bothered to read it. Its not that my writing is particularly thrilling but it’s kind of a drag to think that nobody except my mother reads with any interest. (B—if you’re still reading I’ll by dinner next time)
Restaurant Total: 214
