Tango's Subs & Empanadas

Earlier this month, I received a comment on my Campos Market review which pointed out that despite my constantly professed love for all the interesting and unique eateries on Orchard Street in Boise, a review of Tango's Empanadas (not sure if this is their current website or if this is) was conspicuously missing from this site.  It wasn't that I haven't eaten at Tango's or don't like their food, I just simply haven't been there since I started doing these reviews.  Anyway, Andy convinced me that it was time for me to return, and he did it by telling me about the Lomito...


Care for a few amuse-bouches?

Here's some random food stuff that is interesting me at the moment...

1)  There's another, bigger food truck rally going on this Thursday (September 1st) downtown at 4th and Grove.  The festivities will be from 5-9 PM.  Unfortunately, I'm probably not going to be able to make it myself, but that doesn't excuse the rest of you.  Here is the list of participants:

Archie's Place
B29 Streatery
Boise Fry Company
Brown Shuga Soul Food
Calle 75 Street Tacos
RiceWorks

I've reviewed all but one of these and pretty much adore all of them, so I'm going to go out on a limb here and say it will be an amazing evening.  There will also be beer by Payette Brewing and music by Hillfolk Noir.  What more convincing could you possibly need?

2)  Chris the Saladman, of Fair, festival and roadside truck fame, will be setting up permanent digs in his own restaurant starting October 1st.  Chris' on Broadway will be located, well, on Broadway.  The State Street spot the truck has been parked at is now vacant, and if you want street food from Chris, the Hyde Park Street Fair will be your last chance.  After that it's strictly brick and mortar, baby...

3)  Yet another Chinese buffet is getting ready to open, this one in the Shopko plaza on Fairview and Milwaukee.  The interesting thing about this one is that they're pushing the fact that they will offer sushi pretty hard.  There's no set date for the grand opening of City Buffet (did any of my fellow South Park fans giggle at that?), but there is a website with menu and the beginnings of an online ordering setup so you can get an idea what you'll be in for.  As for me, Chinese food AND sushi just a stone's throw from my office?  You can bet I'll at least have to check the place out, even if I'm keeping my expectations relatively low.

And on a personal note, I've noticed a couple of odd things regarding this site.  First of all, I'm getting a LOT of hits from Russia lately.  No idea why.  Secondly, my Native Taters review is getting a lot of hits lately, is there something going on with them that I'm unaware of?

The Great 2011 Dining Slump Round-Up

Damn I've been having a hard time motivating myself to write lately.  It's just so much more difficult when the food is mediocre.  I mean how many ways are there to describe food that's more or less "just okay"?  I've had these things piling up because I don't want to bother writing about them, so rather than waxing eloquent, let's just clean house...

Shige Teriyaki

I never got a chance to write up the Osaka Grill in Meridian before they went the way of so many other independent restaurants over the last few years, and that's really too bad because I was a fan.  Their stuff was a more oily, less healthy version of Asian grill food, but it was still tasty (I still miss their yakisoba in particular).  One day I drove over to get some noodles, and there was a sign up saying that they would be closed for a few months.  A few weeks later it hat been replaced by a "for lease" sign.  I watched the spot for a long time, cruising by every so often when I was in the area.  I figured that sooner or later another eatery would open there, and hoped it would be another Asian one.  Then one day I was driving past and and noticed that a new sign was hanging in the window.  I thought I could tell what it said but I didn't believe my eyes and pulled in for a closer look.  Sure enough, "Coming Soon, Shige Japanese Cuisine".  I was very, very excited by this prospect, but had no clue how they were going to fit everything that Shige does into that little space.  The answer finally came when the final sign was hung: they weren't.