Bite Me | A blog for all things tasty

Football food favorites

With the AFC and NFC championship games coming up this weekend, and next month's Super Bowl game on the horizon, what are your favorite indulgences while watching a great game of football? Do you go the pizza-and-wings route, or do you opt for homemade favorites like chili and nachos?

Out with the old and in with the new

Several restaurants have come and gone along Mesa Street in recent months. Among the closures are The Kitchen by Chef Sai, Coach's Grill and International Deli and Bakery, while new standbys such as Zino's Greek Food and the Hoppy Monk are drawing in crowds with their lunch and dinner options.

Which restaurants do you miss and which ones are you looking forward to trying?

Happy New Year!

With the new year comes a new focus on getting into shape and eating healthy. What's your favorite way to eat healthy? Do you eat out less and cook more at home? Do you incorporate more fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean meats into your diet? Leave your healthy eating tips here.

Name your own price at Ciao Sicilia on Saturday

Ciao Sicilia has an unusual request for customers on Christmas Eve.

The restaurant's owners are allowing customers to "name your own price" from the restaurant's special menu on Dec. 24th.

The restaurant is located at 6900 N. Mesa Ste. A.

It will be open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday.

Information: 584-1801 or 504-9869.

Holiday eats

The holidays usually mean visits from out-of-town relatives who live too far way to normally enjoy the delicious food many El Paso.

Visiting family members usually gives us a great excuse to visit El Paso standbys such as L & J's, Kiki's, Forti's, Chicos Tacos, the Charcoaler and other great eateries. Which ones are your favorites to take family members?

Also, there are a handful of restaurants that will be open on Christmas Day, including Corralito Steak House on Doniphan Drive and Golden Corral. If you know of any restaurants that will be open that day, please list them here.

And if you'd like to share your favorite holiday recipes, feel free to share them in the comments section as well. Happy holidays!

Food bites

•CBS's "The Early Show" featured legendary El Paso coffee shop H&H Car Wash and its co-owner Maynard Haddad on their "Local Legend" segment Wednesday. To watch the video, click here.

•The original GeoGeske, or G2, restaurant in the Cincinnati Entertainment District is turning 10 years old this week, and restaurant owners are celebrating by offering dishes at 2001 prices starting at 11 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 15. The restaurant is located at 2701 N. Stanton. Information: 544-4242.

•All Marble Slab Creamery locations, including two in El Paso, are offering customers a free ice cream cupcake from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 15. to celebrate National Cupcake Day.

Burger King is also offering free food this week. Restaurant employees will be giving out free fries on Friday in honor of their new french fry recipe.

Gyro crazy

Everyday Gyro is a new restaurant in the Cincinnati Entertainment District that promises delicious gyros at affordable prices (to read our recent review, click here).

Interestingly enough, Sinbad restaurant on Mesa Street, just around the corner from Everyday Gyro, recently put up a banner advertising their gyro offerings. Right down the street sits Al-Zaituna Middle Eastern restaurant, which also offers some pretty tasty gyros, and at 7040 N. Mesa, Zino's Greek restaurant opened up a few months ago to rave reviews.

Which restaurant offers the best gyro, and how do you like your gyro served? With extra tzatziki? No onions? Heavy on the meat?

Two new West Side restaurants

Two new restaurants have opened along Mesa Street: Lai Wah Yen, next to Shellsy Oyster Bar, and the Square Cow at 4172 N. Mesa.

The Square Cow is located at the Real Burrit-O's old spot near Al-Zaituna, and boasts meat ground in-house and a large selection of beer and wine. Chinese restaurant Lai Wah Yen is located where the former Bonny's Cafe/50's Cafe used to be.

What new restaurants are you interested in trying? Are there any new eateries in your neighborhood?

Chef will be cooking, singing at Spencer

The Spencer Theater for the Performing Arts near Ruidoso is having a tasty event this weekend.

Andy Lo Russo, known as "The Singing Chef,"  will be singing and cooking onstage. All patrons will dine on stage with Lo Russo while he prepares the four-course Italianat meal and sings Broadway standards and operatic classics.

The four-course meal Lo Russo has planned for the Spencer includes: Fennel & Orange Salad with Walnuts and Sherry Vinaigrette • Chicken Scaloppini with Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Julienne Vegetables • Bracioli with Red Sauce over Creamy Polenta • and Nona Grace’s Ricotta Cake.  

He will cook and sing his way through each course being prepared for the patrons.

The show starts with an upbeat, popular song called Tarantella (La-ta-da-da-ta-da...) as he dances through the the seated patrons at their tables on stage. Among the arias are La Donna E. Moblie from “Rigoletto,” Santa Lucia, That’s Amore, Torna a Sorrento and Arrivederci Roma. “I like to snake through the audience, followed by the wait staff,” he says, “and get the energy in the room sizzling.

Dinner show will be at 6 p.m. Aug. 20. Cost is $85.  Call the theater box office at 575.336.4800 or go to www.spencertheater.com todayThe "Cabaret 

Is Mesa Street becoming seafood row?

It's odd. And it's always been odd to me. When I lived in Juarez there were quite a few seafood restaurants. Next to Chinese food, people of the region have sought to break the burrito and steak monotony with seafood. I'm a huge fan of fresh seafood; most of my seafood cocktail memories involved seafood near the sea. Or at least in locations darn near the sea. Clearly, here, we are not by the sea.

Yet day after day, another one pops up. I'm talking about Pacifica, El Barco, and the upcoming Villa del Mar. Add these to Shellsy, Puerto Vallarta, the Little Shack, La Mar, and Los Aguachiles. Have I missed any? Some places claim to get daily or almost daily shipments of "fresh" seafood. What they mean by "fresh" varies. It really is possible to get certain types of fish and shellfish flown in fresh or flash frozen. And I can't complain. Most places that I've been to have left me satisfied. Keep in mind that I mostly stick to shrimp cocktail (Mexican style—as opposed to shrimp and dipping sauce). I can’t help it; it’s how I beat the heat.

I’ve been trying to do the rounds at these places and have not really had a bad shrimp cocktail. The one at La Mar was a little bit too sweet for me (but that can be addressed by requesting it less sweet. The one at Shellsy was very good, and as I recall had more avocado than others (by the way, at this place, I wanted to try everything--the fish tacos looked outstanding). The Little Shack adds more texture than other places by adding tiny, perfectly diced vegetables. I believe Puerto Vallarta does this too (or is it their ceviche?). And off-Mesa, there has always been Barrigas. They have a traditional, good one.

As I make my way from place to place, I would love to know your opinions. Is Mesa Street becoming seafood row (I've noticed a similar phenomenon on the far East side)? Or are as many restaurants closing as are opening? Do you eat seafood on the border? What makes a good seafood place here? Do you have any recommendations (places, specific dishes)?