Gas Station Gourmet

Last night the hubster and I were too lazy to cook dinner, so after a Costco run (where he didn't feel like having Costco pizza or hot dog for dinner), we decided to drive down a block or two from our apartment to the Valero Gas Station that sits on McFadden where Santa Ana meets Tustin.

Yes, the gas station. And it wasn't even a 7-11 or an Extra Mile convenience store either (he loves the Extra Mile - attached to most Chevron gas stations - hot dog with sauerkraut). He said that every time he drives by (it's right smack in between his work and home... about 2 minutes from home and 3 minutes from work - how nice, right?) around lunch time or after work, he always sees people sitting around eating. So we had to try it. It's a 2-minute drive from our apartment - why the heck not?

Scoping it out. It was almost 9pm by the time we came by and it wasn't crowded at all, just a few people in line and waiting in their cars. The place is open for lunch from 11-3 and dinner from 6-10.

Here it is: Peter's Gourmade Grill! It's attached to the Valero gas station convenience store. It's really just a kitchen with an order/pick-up window and a small outdoor counter with some stools if you want to eat there, but since we're so close to home, we took it to go, like most people do. Or they sit in their car and eat.

In passing, the hubster kept thinking it was a gyro place (based on that neon sign there), but when we went there, it was much more than gyro... sure there ARE gyros and other Greek touches, but we went with the burgers and fries.

This is just the partial menu displayed in the window. We each went with the ABC burger (Avocado Bacon Cheese) with a 100% Angus beef patty. And then before I could say anything, the hubster ordered the Sweet Potato Gooey's. I knew I couldn't have that, and wanted the Greek Fries instead, but I didn't want us going home with two orders of fries, since you know, I really shouldn't be eating fries to begin with. So we went home with an ABC burger each (mine without ketchup because that's pure sugar there) and an order of the Gooey fries.

All I could smell and think about on the 2-minute drive home (darn that red light!) were Sweet Potato Fries! And to be honest, I'm not that big of a fan of sweet potato fries. What are Sweet Potato Gooey's?

THIS is Sweet Potato Gooey's: sweet potato fries with brown sugar and maple syrup, topped with toasted marshmallows. Seriously. Like a yummy, fried alternative to the traditional Thanksgiving sweet potato casserole... if you like marshmallows and all that sweetness. I stayed away.

And finally, our ABC burger! From bottom to top: soft potato bun, mayo, pickle slices, shredded lettuce, tomato slice, 100% Angus beef patty (looks really fresh, right?), melted cheddar cheese, thick slabs of bacon, fresh and creamy avocado slices, mayo and mustard, soft potato bun. Delish! We gobbled those suckers down QUICK.

The only thing about Peter's Gourmade Grill being so small is that they run out of stuff. By the time we got there (about an hour before closing), they were no longer serving breakfast and Mexican food, and pastrami. The next time we go - and YES, there will be a next time, and a next time, and a next time... - I don't know what I'll try, but the hubster will be getting The Rammer (grilled pastrami served on top of a 6 oz. Angus beef burger with mustard, pickles, grilled onions and swiss cheese on a pretzel bun), and I will insist on the Peter's Greek fries (shoestring fries tossed with oregano, feta cheese and topped with gyro meet and served with cucumber sauce). Yummy yummy! And oh yeah... if you're in a hurry, you can also text your order in before hand and will receive a confirmation text in return.

Last (meat) Feast

I've failed to add stuff from over the past couple of weeks, but I'll post one today, in honor of Mardi Gras and the quickly approaching Lent season.

Although I'm not a regular church-attendee (forgive me!) I do have my beliefs and I do classify myself as being Catholic. As a kid, I always followed my parents' rules that from Ash Wednesday until Easter, you don't eat meat on Fridays, and I just accepted it. It wasn't until I started my religion classes that I understood why (but please don't ask me to explain in detail), and that in addition to not eating meat on Fridays, it was customary (or I suppose a better word would be 'respectful' or something of that sort) to give something up. As kids it seemed the most common thing to "give up" was soda. Or candy. Something like that. 

Coming out of those years of classes, I learned it as making a "sacrifice". So I altered my "giving up" list to a "sacrifice" list, something that would be a serious challenge (as I don't really have a sweet tooth). Meat. I love meat, I crave meat, the smell of meat cooking calls for instant salivation. Meat. That is my sacrifice.

And I don't mean just red meat. I mean all meats. Beef, pork, chicken... any type of animal. Although I will make the exception for dairy and eggs. So in a matter of minutes, the clock will strike midnight and it will officially be Ash Wednesday. And meat will be off-limits to me until Easter Sunday. I know I can do it, and I've done it for the past several years, but it still doesn't make it any easier to visit Ruth's Chris website.

As I left the mall this evening (making a quick stop to Sanrio), I eyed McDonald's from the escalator. A giant image of the new Mac Snack Wrap called to me. Try me, it said. You know you want to. C'mon, what are you waiting for? It's Mardi Gras. No meat for the next month and a half.

You had me at "Mac Snack Wrap". And, what the hey. Toss in a cheeseburger and an order of fries. Yum. 

The image doesn't really say "yum", but it really was. Something about it... doesn't look all that great but the taste does it. Maybe it's all the processing. That's some good processing. And you know what? The Mac Snack Wrap really did taste like a Big Mac. Except for the tortilla part. It has too much of it's own flavor to remind you that you aren't really having a Big Mac, but in fact, a wrap.