Review: The Bootlegger

April 5, 2015 Derek Sotak

Homemade Chips, Chili, Lettuce, Cheese, Tomatoes, Onions, Olives, Salsa, Sour Cream

When I think of a bootlegger, I think of a bunch of moonshiners driving the backroads of some southern state at high speeds, peddling their bathtub brews and staying one step ahead of the law. Maybe they get in a fight with some mobsters and Tom Hardy punches one of them so hard in the throat goiter that it explodes out of their mouth in what I would consider one of the most ridiculous things I’ve seen in all of film. What a bootlegger isn’t is a nice Italian restaurant, which is why I wouldn’t call my nice Italian restaurant The Bootlegger. The Upstanding Gentleman, The Italian American Social Club, The Definitely Not a Front Restaurant, all fine names if you want to get across that your establishment may not be on the up and up but still has fine food, but Bootlegger, no. All that being said, The Bootlegger sounds exactly like the kind of place you would go to get some great nachos, but did this turn out to be the case in this case?

Nachos & You

March 25, 2015 Nachonomics

So as it's been almost a year since you first became aware of the existence of a book by the name of The Field Guide to Nachos, and like a junkie craving a fix that one just isn't cutting it anymore. Fortunately for you we're pleased to announce Nachos & You: Living Your Life the Nacho Way. Part self help, part nacho improvement, part Nacho 101 text book, all nacho and some book. Realistically more book than nacho, but who is counting. Guaranteed to be the greatest book on nachos featuring a nacho chip wearing a top hat and monocle on the cover to ever be written.

More deets, and, you know, a Kickstarter page soon, but hopefully for now this religious tract looking temp MS Paint cover of what the book will probably look like will tide you over.

Review: The Dogfather

March 15, 2015 Derek Sotak

A bowl with crumbled Fritos corn chips on the bottom, covered with The Dogfather’s homemade chili, topped with shredded cheddar cheese.

In honor of National Cheetos Day earlier this month I figured I should find the cousin of nachos, the Cheeto Pie, and try some of those to pay my respects. Then I realized a Cheeto Pie wasn’t a thing and that I was actually thinking of a Frito Pie, so I endeavored to find one of those instead. A short car ride later I did just that at a little food truck known as The Dogfather, a mafia themed extreme hot dog experience. I’m sure by now you have a lot of questions, the answers to which you will find below.

Essay: Guy Fieri, more like "Why Fieri?" Trashcan Nachos

March 5, 2015 Derek Sotak

Guy Fieri carries the physical manifestation of the albatross representing the quality of his work across the stage. (Food Network)

This week an event shocked the nacho world with the magnitude of the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake (7.8), that being that human troll doll Guy Fieri made nachos in a trashcan. Granted, fewer people died at this event, but the level of horror and the cost in human spirit is equal, if not greater. The damage to nachos of course was much, much worse.

Review: Bentley Pub 2

February 25, 2015 Derek Sotak

Tortilla chips, melted cheese, tomatoes, green peppers, red onions, sour cream, salsa, chicken.

Judgement Day. The Road Warrior. Escape from LA. Electric Boogaloo. Pig in the City. All sequels of note. The Bentley Pub of Auburn Massachusetts also has a sequel, with the go to sequel title of Bentley Pub 2. Do I think they would be better served by giving it a flashy name, like “Bentley Pub 2: Come for the Grub” or “Bentley Pub 2: The Craw Fillinging”.