The Last of the Mancy’s

Bluewater Grille is the seafood restaurant from the Mancy’s family. The group was founded by Gus Mancy, now run by his grandchildren with more than 85 years of tradition. Bluewater Grilled offers fresh seafood in a modern atmosphere with excellent service and a provocative menu.

Menu

The Place

As an entree I ordered Steak Tips Au Poivre, the Pecking Style Calamari, and as a main I went for the mixed grill (Tuna, Salmon, and Mahi Mahi). The food is quite good, the calamari and the steak tips definitely my favourites, the fish was ok, to be honest I’ve had better salmon in England, and the portions are small which is not usual in the US.

Steak Tips

Sushi Time

Calamari

Still definitely the best of the Mancy’s family, and a good option in Maumee.

Cesar Salad

Mixed Grill

Fish reminds me the Seinfeld episode “The Butter Shave”.

Bania: Thank you, thank you, Hey, Jerry, did you see me up there? I was killing, Jerry. Killing. I killed.

Jerry: Killed?

Bania: Killed. I'm gonna go pick up some chicks. Good looking ones, too! Hey, what's your name?

George: Killed.

Jerry: Because I killed first and warmed up the crowd. He's like that fish that attaches himself to the shark.

George: And you're the shark?

Jerry: Yeah, I'm the shark and he's the fish eating my laughs.

George: I don't know how a fish could eat laughs.

Jerry: Well, I'm glad I brought it up.

America’s Gourmet Burgers

This is my last week for this year in the US, and by complete chance while surfing the net I found Red Robin, America’s Gourmet Burgers. A chain that started in 1969 with one location in Seattle, and now has more than 400 locations in the US. If my memory serves me well, my friend Rob told me and recommended the place, also it was ranked Zagat's Best Burger in 2009.

The Place

Nothing like the Lady Burger Liberty

13 different burgers and bottomless fries gives enough options to make you hesitate to order. After a couple minutes, I made my choice, the winner was the Sauteed ‘Shroom Burger, fresh plump sauteed mushrooms, garlic parmesan butter, and melted swiss cheese. But, that wasn’t enough for me bacon was still missing so I ordered as an extra. To join the burger and the bottomless fries, I spotted in the menu Fried Jalapenos.

The Menu

Nothing like a Coke

The burger was quite good, not as good as the one in the Ritz in Chicago but good enough to go against a couple ones in London. If you like spicy food, the Fresh Fried Jalapenos Coins is a must. Judging Robin in my scale I would say they got a 7.5.

The 'Shroom Burger

Fresh Fried Jalapeno Coins

The big surprise in Red Robin was seeing a poster in the restaurant of George Costanza from the episode “The Package” when Kramer convinces George to send a seductive picture to the photo store clerk.

George Timeless Art of Seduction (Copyright Sony Pictures Digital Inc)

Kramer: George, it's the timeless art of seduction. You gotta join in the dance. She sends you an enticing photo, you send her one right back.

George: Well, I don't know.

Kramer: Well, as you know, I've always been something of a photographer.

Jerry: Oh, yeah, I like this idea.

Outback Aussie Style

These days during my visits to the US I’ve been eating a while in Outback, the reason is simple the food is good and is near the hotel I’m staying. I’ve probably tried all the steaks in the menu, and a couple other dishes.

Flatbread 

Outback has been rated # 1 by Zagat in 2009 and 2010. Good thing about Zagat is that the reviews and ratings are done by the diners, so the raking is done by costumers. Their motto is “It’s Always Fresh in the Outack Steakhouse”, all the soups, sauces, and dressings are made fresh each day from scratch, the steaks are USDA meats, and the blue cheese is Danish.

Kookaburra Wings

The steaks are cook to order on a red hot grill, my favourites are The Melbourne, an 18oz porterhouse, and The Outback Special, a sirloin seasoned with bold spices. Also good are the Prime Rib, Victoria’s Fillet, and the Ribeye.

Bacon Cheese Burger

My favourite is an entrée, the Kookaburra Wings, battered chicken wings, tossed with spices with a blue cheese dressing, just perfect. Also good is the crispy flatbread, with grilled chicken, chopped spinach and antichokes, parmesan cheese and olive oil.

The burger is ok but not great, I would try to stay on the steaks, but you might want to try the fillet foccacia and excellent sandwich with sliced fillet cooked to order, melted provolone, and a garlic herb aioli on toasted bread, quite good in my opinion.

This Aussie experience reminds me the Seinfeld episode “The Good Samaritan”.

Elaine: Did you tell Kramer?

Jerry: Ah, nah!

Kramer: What? What? What? Tell me.

Elaine: Jerry saw this guy crash into a car, and he followed him.

Kramer: Good for you! What kind of a sick lowlife would do a thing like that? You know those people, you know they're mentally disturbed. They should be sent to Australia.

Jerry: Australia?

Kramer: Yeah, yeah, that's where England used to send their convicts.

Gourmet Burrito

These days everything is gourmet, fine dining, or gastro pub. People are asking for better quality, more options, and comfort food is getting to a new level to try to step up to the plate. How could imagine that a fast food chain could categorized themselves as gourmet! In my opinion most of the time the term is used to lightly but sometimes you can be surprised.

I try to avoid as much as I can fast food, but sometimes there is no option, you need a quick/fast snack to get back to work. One of the places I tend to go is Chilango, to have gourmet burritos! Yes gourmet burritos! I honestly can imagine anything being gourmet but a burrito? Seriously!

The meal

I just remember when at Uni here in London near Moorgate we used to go to Whitecross market and one of the best sellers is the burrito wagon, not sure about the name though, but they’re every week day selling burritos there, and in my opinion probably same quality and taste as the “gourmet” options, and even cheaper. One of my friends he usually went on and on with this place in the US name Chipotle, best burrito ever, etc. So last week I spotted one in Toledo and decided give it a try.

The place has been around since 1993, and it’s massive in the US, they have one restaurant in London, but according to my friend Tehbus, not good at all. I went to the place, assembly line concept just like subway and many other places, fast and standard quality. The burrito was good, tasty, good flavour. Now was it better than the other two? Can’t say, not sure! For me honestly is basically the same. Do I think that is gourmet? I definitely no! For me it’s still comfort food, still not buying the gourmet comfort food trend!

All this reminds me the Seinfeld episode “The Reverse Peephole”.

Kramer: I'm on the Mexican, whoa ohh, radio...

Silvio: Eh, what are you doing?

Kramer: Hey, Silvio. Yeah, I'm reversing my peephole.

Silvio: Hey, you know you gotta get permission from me. I'm the super. Who said you could do that?

Kramer: Well, who says I can do any of the things I do in my place?
Silvio: Like what?

Kramer: Well, I... uh, nothing. No, I'll, um, I'll switch it back.

Silvio: No, no, no, no. No, that's all right.

Kramer: Well, that's good. Because, uh, Newman and I…

Silvio: Newman? He did this, too?

Kramer: Well, yeah.
Silvio: I deal with him.