The Tour of Blacksburg

Stage 14: Nerv

2005-05-12T11:37:00.000-04:00

At Justin's suggestion, we moved the final stage from Kabuki to Nerv. Nerv is a chic little restaurant in Blacksburg (one of the primary reasons to make it last, we wanted to end in Blacksburg). The food is also the most expensive on the tour. Allegedly, it was also the most delicious.

This did indeed prove to be the case, as Joe, Justin, and I all the Chesapeake Fillet and Crabcake thingy. Served in some sort of reduced wine sauce, it was fantastic.

Megan got a lobster with raviolli and scallops. It was so much food that everyone had a little bit.

Gavin got beef stroganoff (not very photogenic) which he liked alot. Mario downed a 16oz prime rib that looked very very tasty.

The service was impeccable, the waiter even offered to take the final picture for us before I could ask him to. The final event of the Tour of Blacksburg 2005 was defineatly the best. I couldn't have asked for better food or better company.

Day of Rest

2005-05-10T20:28:00.000-04:00

Today was a day of rest, though, we can't go completely without practice, so we took a quick hop by The Boston Beanery for a bite before the evenings festivities (video games and poker).

Stage 13: Mike's Grill

2005-05-10T11:55:00.000-04:00

To Mike's Grill we go for Mike's Famous Burgers. They have good calzones and pizza (so I've heard), but they aren't Mike's Famous Calzones or Mike's Famous Pizzas. Burgers are why you go to Mike's.

Burgers like these. According to a recent Collegiate Times article, they are served upside down because there is more bread on the top of the bun, more bread sops up more juice, and thus more flavor is retained. The meat for the burgers is ground on site by one of the two owners. A secret bend of spices is added. One of the two owners also cooks every burger. Mike's closes when neither of them are around to cook the burgers. Either way, when you are looking for the best burger in Blacksburg, Mike's is the place to go.

It would appear that Mario ate some of the bun, breaking his diet, but there is no evidence in this photo that it is actually him. He gets away on a technicality.

Stage 12: Backstreet's Pizza & Restaurant

2005-05-08T23:01:00.000-04:00

The second italian place on the tour is also the most delicious. Backstreet's serves awesome stromboli and deep dish pizza. It is always more food than one person can handle, so we just take part back home with us.

This is one of the huge strombolis that Justin and I ordered.

Gavin got an entire deep dish pizza to himself and then ate half a slice.

Is this Mario facing the temptation of getting off his diet?

A look back: Kabuki

2005-05-08T14:40:00.000-04:00

Kabuki is one of the more fancy places on our tour. As such, it's a place we often visit for birthdays or other special occasions, and not just because we want some good food. If you're just looking for this style food and not necessarily a nice dinner out, I highly recommend Kobe, a 'fast food' version of Kabuki that is a good deal cheaper. Yet, for the tour we intended to only visit the best of the best, so Kabuki it is.

Dinner at Kabuki is a full experience. You pay a price depending on the type of meat you desire and then with that comes a great deal of courses and entertainment. We begin with a bowl of miso soup and then continue on to a salad of your choice. At this point, you might also grab yourselves an order of sushi, which I highly recommend if you are a sushi fan. After you finish your soup, salad and sushi, then the real entertainment begins.

This is when the trained chef pull up his cart full of meat and spices and turns on the grill. As you can view in the pictures below, all of the cooking happens right there in front of you. A word of warning, at this point you recieve the two small bowls of the sauce that you use for dipping your food. A ginger sauce and one other darker sauce I can't recall. Pay attention when the chef tells you what sauce goes for what types of meat. Between the sauce selection, chopstick use and the upcoming shrimp catching, it's easy to get embarassed at a Kabuki dinner, so it's best to stay on the top of your game the whole time.

The chef then begins cooking the various foods that you will be eating this evening. We've got onions and some sort of green vegetable cooked up with sesame and soy sauce. There's also a shrimp appetizer for all at this point. Then, at last, the chef begins cooking the meats you selected. Filet, shrimp, scallops or chicken, it's all quite delicious. Cooked to your preference and tossed on your plate.

Finally, we end with some leeks - which I dislike quite a great deal but ask for anyway - and the chef attempts to toss shrimp into your mouths. Catching the shrimp is quite an honor, and most of us have perfected our shrimp catching technique. Open your mouth wide, lean back a little and dive inward to catch the shrimp. It's really a game of reflexes and mouth-eye coordination. I suggest practicing at home with some food to make sure your succeed.

Throughout all of this cooking, the chef will continously toss bad jokes at you with reckless abandon. Regardless of whether you've heard the jokes a thousand times, it is your obligation to laugh at them. It's like a tip, you have to give them laughs no matter how bad it was.

In the end, Kabuki is an excellent place to visit with a group of your friends if you're looking for good food and entertainment. We've visited there with family and friends on numerous occasions, and for those in Blacksburg who haven't been there yet, be sure to use the next birthday or holiday as an excuse to get some Kabuki.

The tour's meal recommendations

Justin
Mikado Meal (Filet Mignon and Shrimp)
Hokie Rolls Sushi (It's not really sushi since they use chicken, but it's still good)
Ginger Dressing Salad (Completes the experience)

Stage 11: Kabuki

2005-05-08T14:23:00.000-04:00

Ah, yes, Kabuki, the second foray out of Blacksburg. Kabuki is one of those Japanese Teppanyaki grill type places. Of all restaurants of that style that I have eaten at, Kabuki is my favorite.

The chef's are always entertaining. They make horrible puns and set 'volcanoes' of onions on fire.

The most entertaining thing is when they flip shrimp into the mouths of customers. It was quite tough to photograph.

Mario did get hit in the face with one though.

They also overcharge for things like a slice of birthday cake with a photo. If you ever want to pay 3 bucks for a cheap polaroid photo, come to one of these type of restaurants. Otherwise, bring your own camera.

A look back: Souvlaki's

2005-05-06T23:39:00.000-04:00

Souvlaki's is probably for me personally one of the places that holds the most memories. The people there know my name and are able to get my order for me without asking. It's kinda like Cheers, only with gyros instead of beer.

My history at Souvlaki's stems back to the summer I spent down here in Blacksburg. I worked at the bookstore selling computers to freshmen, and thus had very little time to take for lunch. As a result, I had to go somewhere nearby that was cheap, good, and not horribly unhealthy. I eventually settled on Souvlaki's as my regular meal location. While some of the other restaraunts in Blacksburg may know my name, the staff at Souvlaki's without a doubt know me best. I'm going to have to say goodbye to them this summer. I'll fight back the tears. In addition, Souvlaki's is also the place where I personally had my first legal drink, a single bottle of beer before my Public Speaking class.

Well, enough of my personal Souvlaki's history, lets move on to the food there. As you can see in the pictures below, Souvlaki's contains a cone of spiced lamb and beef meat that is somehow the most delicious meat that I have ever tasted. If you are going there, you owe it yourself to get that meat, whether on a Philly Cheese Steak or on a Gyros plate or Gyros pita. I recommend the Gyros pita, as their pitas also are quite good. They then add on a strange cucumber sauce and lettuce and wrap it all up. A word of warning, as their shirts say, peel it back, don't unwrap. Otherwise, you will be laughed at.

Beyond the spiced meats, Souvlaki's is also a good place to get a normal sub, as they toast the sub up just right. If you have a fear of the spiced meat, a turkey sub is a good stand-in. A pita with cheese is also required for any meal.

The final thing that few people know about Souvlaki's is that they have very good prices on pitchers of beer. A pitcher of Amber-Boch for 5.50? Can't beat that deal.

The tour's meal recommendations

Justin
Gyros (Wrapped up in a pita and incredible)
Philly Cheese Steak (The spiced lamb meat melted together with cheese)
Turkey Sub (Toasted to perfection)
Pita with cheese
Beer (As mentioned above, pitchers are well-priced)

Stage 10: Souvlaki's

2005-05-06T18:38:00.000-04:00

Mmmmmm. Delicious Greek food.

Souvlaki's makes its own gyro meat which is the staple of most of what they serve. The cone of meat thing is what keeps it not rotting I think, but for all I know it could make it tastetastic too.

We all got the famous cheese steak sandwiches (with gyro meat instead of steak), except Justin, who got an actual gyro. They also have good mozarella cheese pitas to hold you over while the food is cooking.

Souvlaki's is also home to the football graveyard. Every year they put headstones over a sand grave up for each team VT football beats. This year, we would have been undefeated if not for some horrible officiating and poor kicking.

The last three games of the year were some of the most fun to go to / watch on TV. The Maryland game was a fantastic ass whooping.

A look back: PK's

2005-05-05T23:57:00.000-04:00

PK's is a place that serves a dual purpose to us. It first functions as a place to get good cheap pizza. It second functions as a bar to drink pitcher upon pitcher of beer at. It excels in both of these functions.

As stated in the post below, the proper time to go to PK's for pizza is on a Thursday from 5-Midnight. Grab a bunch of pizzas, then pray the coin makes them free. Be sure to debate amongst the group beforehand whether you will share in whatever profits you happen to get from free pizzas or laugh at those who do not get a free pizza. I recommend sharing the profits, but the thrill of getting your entire meal free is enticing.

In terms of its bar capabilities, PK's has a few good deals going on at all times. They've got dollar Miller high lifes which Joe and I enjoy having with our pizza, and then they have cheap pitchers of beer, as do most places downtown. It's always unknown when PK's transforms from 'restaurant' to 'bar', but it takes place at some point during the night. PK's is normally not the place we start drinking, but it's often the place we end up drinking. Our normal drinking course when we go downtown runs Hokie House -> Underground -> PK's. Not sure why PK's is our final destination, but it seems to happen that way.

So whether you want possibly free pizza or cheap beer and pool, PK's is there for you downtown. Oh, and get feta on pizza. It sounds disgusting, but it's incredibly good.

The tour's meal recommendations

Justin
Pizza (Feta and Pepperoni is my favorite combo)
Beer (Pitchers and dollar High Lifes)

Stage 9: PK's

2005-05-05T23:27:00.000-04:00

Thursday's at PK's are Tijauna Toss Thursday's, meaning, they flip a coin for each 16" pizza you buy and if it is heads, you get it free. Due to Cinco de Drinko activities, it was rather calm for a Thursday night. Gavin, Justin, Joe, and I had a pretty good dinner. Joe and Justin got a 16" pepperoni and feta pizza and Gavin and I split a 16" pepperoni and mushroom.

Half way through dinner, Justin got a phone call. This was Joe's reaction to the conversation, which went something like this:

Justin: "Hello"
Caller: "..."
Justin: "Ok."
Caller: "..."
Justin: "Ok."
Caller: "..."
Justin: "Ok."
Caller: "..."
Justin: "Ok."
Caller: "..."
Justin: "Ok."
Caller: "..."
Justin: "Ok."
Caller: "..."
Justin: "Ok."
Caller: "..."
Justin: "bye"

As Justin said earlier, the Tour's repuation is preceeding us. In addition to winning one of the free pizza's, Gavin and my sodas were not included on the bill. Sweet.

A look back: Five Guys

2005-05-05T17:17:00.000-04:00

Ah, Five Guys. This was a place originally founded back near DC, but it has since migrated throughout this state and others due to how delicious their burgers are. It's name comes from the fact that five brothers were offered the chance to either go to college or found a restaurant with their parents money. Luckily for us, they decided to found a restaurant.

This place only makes three things - burgers, hot dogs, and fries. But it needs make no more. The burgers are enormous, one reason our carb-phobic friend Mario appreciates going there, and you can choose any amount of toppings to toss down on that thing. You can't truly appreciate these burgers unless you load them up with toppings - they basically smash the toppings in there with your patties, somehow strap a bun on there, and then wrap it up in tin foil so none of the flavor escapes. I, for example, get grilled onions, mushrooms, bacon, cheese, lettuce, ketchup and mayo on my burger. It just makes the meal.

The second element of Five Guys are the giant pile of fries they give you with each meal. You recieve your burger in a big paper bag, and they fill up that bag the rest of the way with fries. Just about every time I've gone there we've brought fries home for a snack, because they give us just too damn much. Add in the fact that these fries are themselves another delicious Five Guys creation and it just completes the meal.

How do they make their fries and burgers so delicious? I have no clue. Fresh ingredients? Addictive drugs? Special cooking techniques? Honestly, I don't really care. I'm just going to enjoy the food while until a doctor tells me I shouldn't. Which leads me to my only warning. This food never even approaches healthy. Mario eats it on his 'diet', but anyone else who enjoys eating healthy should avoid this place at all costs. Luckily, most of us don't really care about 'healthy' foods.

The tour's meal recommendations

Justin
Bacon Cheeseburger (fully loaded)
Fries

Stage 8: Five Guys (Burgers and Fries)

2005-05-05T00:11:00.000-04:00

Cheap stop number 2: Five Guys. We eat here alot. They have good burgers, wonderful fries, and tastey hotdogs.

I had a picture of mario eating his bun free low-carb burger, but it was too dusgusting to put up. Patrick and his ball-and-chain happened to stop by though. So here is Patrick, making a guest appearance on the tour.

A look back: El Rodeo

2005-05-04T15:44:00.000-04:00

Have you ever been to a cheap Mexican restaurant? Then you've been to El Rodeo. I swear, they must have a Mexican restaurant factory somewhere in America that just ships them out with some prepackaged Mexican sounding name. Of the three Mexican places around Tech, they all have the same menu and essentially the same food. For Mexican places, there are two things that set them apart from one another. The quality of their free tortilla chips and the quality of their margaritas.

Luckily for El Rodeo, they win on both these counts. Their chips and salsa are good, to the point where we end up finishing a few baskets off before the food gets there, forcing us to gorge oursleves to finish the food we've ordered. The endless debate between salted and unsalted always continues, but we are united behind the chips themselves.

The El Rodeo margaritas are also quite good, as you can see from the pictures. One word of warning, get your margarita jumbo, salted and unfrozen. Apparently they assume you want a frozen margarita, and attempting to drink a jumbo frozen margarita is like trying to drink a big gulp full of very cold slurpee in ten minutes. The pictures below show how painful the exercise becomes. I think my core temperature dropped about 10 degrees over the course of the drink.

I think the reason that El Rodeo's margaritas are so good is that at one point they had the reputation of being the place where they didn't check IDs. It has changed its ways as of recently, I'm guessing due to prosecution, but the good margaritas haven't changed.

On the plus side, I think the reputation of the Tour is preceeding us. Much like at The Cellar where we recieved free beer, El Rodeo provided my jumbo margarita free of charge. We should do this more often. I'm trying to encourage Russ to pretend he's from the Collegiate Times with his giant camera so we can get entire meals free. We'll see how that goes.

The tour's meal recommendations

Justin
A Number One (Two enchiladas, rice and a taco)
A Number Five (Two enchiladas, rice and beans)
Jumbo Margarita (Limey and delicious - NOT FROZEN)
Chips and Salsa (Too much)

Gavin
Uno Numero Uno - Ditto
Fried Ice Cream - I know it's just vanilla ice cream with rice crispies on top. But let me live the lie, damnit!

Russ
3 Soft Tacos - Simple, safe (kinda, dont ask whats in the meat).
Chips and Salsa - I could eat that all night.

Stage 7: El Rodeo

2005-05-04T13:23:00.000-04:00

Or El Rod's in the popular vernacular. One of a few mexican places in blacksburg. They all have the same menu, so we just went to the usual one.

The staff here are quite friendly and thought the tour was a good idea.

This place is best known for its huge jumbo margarita's. Justin has killed these before, so no idea why this was such a daunting task.

He complained about the cold the whole time.

But finally conquered.

A look back: Double Dragon

2005-05-03T16:04:00.000-04:00

I've never been to Double Dragon. I never plan to go. Take out Chinese just isn't my thing. Someone else should really 'look back' on this one.

The tour's recommended meals

Justin
Eat somewhere else (Seriously)

Russ
General Tso's Chicken - Justin has no idea what he is talking about. It is the only spicy General Tso's in town.

Gavin
Chicken Lo Mein - I agree Justin is full of it. Chicken lo mein for $5? Sign me up!

Stage 6: Double Dragon

2005-05-02T22:01:00.000-04:00

Tonight Gavin and I went to the tasty Double Dragon chinese restaurant in Blacksburg, where any order gets you a response of "10 minute, OK?" or "15 minute, OK?". They don't take your name or your number. Its an honor system thing.

I asked if I could take a picture of the restaurant and the lady freaked out about the kitchen being in it. Must not be up to code or something. Food is really good though, this is the only place in town that serves spicy general tso's chicken. All the other places make it too sweet.

A look back: Sycamore Deli

2005-05-01T22:40:00.000-04:00

Sycamore Deli is really your average deli. They've got a wide variety of sandwiches, most of which are delicious. As you can see from the pictures, our group is quite partial to the Philly Cheese Steaks. If you're looking for a good entirely unhealthy sandwich, nothing beats a good old Philly Steak, and this place doesn't disappoint.

For some strange reason I have yet to understand, we tend to go to Sycamore Deli after a night in which Joe and I have been partying at 2-3 in the afternoon. I'm not sure why it works out like that, but it always ends up that way. So as a result, I traditionally get a large sandwich, eat half, then wonder why I ate that much and bring the rest back.

Ironically, the other reason that Sycamore Deli will stick in my mind is that they are the place to get kegs from. We've only hosted one keg party here at Tech, but despite that, we know Sycamore to be the keg location here at Tech. Whether you're looking for a good expensive keg of beer or a good cheap keg of beer, they've got what you're looking for. Just make sure to not leave the keg out on the balcony for a week and then try to finish it off the next weekend. It won't end well.

The tour's recommened foods

Justin
Philly Cheese Steak (I love me a good a Philly, and this place makes them well)
Meatball Sub (Another classic fully realized here)
Keg (Beast Kegs, delicious and inexpensive)

Gavin
Philly Cheese Steak - Mmm mmm good.

Russ
Philly Cheese Steak - Add me in to this camp. They are so good.

Stage 5: Sycamore Deli (The Results)

2005-05-01T21:29:00.000-04:00

We went to The Sycamore Deli, a popular lunch location during the school week. They have really good cheese steak subs.

Joe and Justin showed up looking like they stumbled out of bed. At 4pm.

Mario is clearly getting depressed with his diet, low carb just aint fun. Can he keep it up through the tour?

Besides, cheese steaks just look better. Gavin managed to survive today unscathed.

Stage 5: Sycamore Deli

2005-05-01T14:37:00.000-04:00

The deliciousness continues at Sycamore Deli for lunchish dinnerthing today. Gotta eat so we can see family guy tonight.

A look back: Mongolian Grill

2005-04-30T23:24:00.000-04:00

Mongolian Grill is a rather scary place. Imagine if you shoved a chinese buffet together with a place that serves excellent grilled spiced meats and made it all available for one low price. If you guess that you'd eat way too much and contemplate throwing up on the ride back, then you'd be right.

Essentially, that is the way a meal at Mongolian Grill works. We don't eat hardly anything for a while. We drive the 20 something minute drive over. We eat a giant bowl of meat, noodles and vegetables that get cooked in front of you. Then we eat a wide variety of delicious Chinese buffet items such as bacon-wrapped crab, cheese sticks and pudding. Then we quickly head home and think about throwing up the entire way.

Despite this vicious cycle that you get put in by joining a trip to Mongolian Grill, we all do it willingly each time we head out there. Gathering a bowl of meat, noodles and veggies together and handing it to some man to cook it in front of you is a quite satisfying experience. It's the modern man's equivilent of being a hunter/gatherer. Then you stare at this meat being whirled around this strange circular grill while your desire to jump the bar and kill the man so you can get the meats he is wrongly keeping from you grow. Finally, you go back and feast on your kill, devouring every little spiced and soft piece of the bowl.

It's an experience not to be missed, if only because once you finish the bowl you'll find yourself inexplicably getting up and getting more food from the bar because you just can't resist it. Bacon-wrapped crab is not a treat to be missed. Then you finish off the meal with a fortune cookie, which provides ample chance to insult one another. Mine was - "You are a straightforward and honest person." Everyone concluded my career in politics was over before it started.

EDIT: Gavin fights like a little girl and it was necessary to whip him upside the head to teach him a lesson. Just to clear the record.

DOUBLE EDIT: Justin fights like a little girl and it was necessary to fight fire with fire, so to speak.

The tour's recommended foods

Justin
Pork, Chicken, Beef, Zucchini, Onions, 3 kinds of spices (all in one bowl)
Bacon-wrapped crab
Sushi
Pudding (the perfect end to a heart killing meal)

Gavin
Mongolian Grill - Add raw meat, vegetables, and sauces. Don't forget to cook before ingesting.
Honey Bread - Ancient Chinese recipe.

Russ
Mongolian Grill - Beef, Dark Meat Chicken, Pork, Zuchinni, Snow Peas, Broccoli, Bamboo Chutes, Water Chestnuts, and those little baby corn things. Scheszuan Sauce and Garlic. Then cook it (or have the circle walking guy do it).
Those Chinese Donut Things - A staple at all chinese buffets, but good everywhere you go.

Stage 4: Mongolian BBQ (The Results)

2005-04-30T22:19:00.000-04:00

Tonight we did the first time trial. A trip through the mountaints to the Crown Buffet (AKA the Mongolian Grill/BBQ/place) in Radford. We all piled into one car in a situation designed to encourage silliness of all kinds.

At the Mongolian BBQ, they have the standard all you can eat chinese fair, but they also have a Mongolian BBQ, hence the name. At the BBQ, you assemble a bowl of meat, veggies, rice, sauce, and whatever else you want. It looks something like this.

Then, this guy throws it on a hot, round heating thing and walks around in a circle with it a bunch of times until it is cooked.

Finally, in a single suave motion, he flings all the cooked food into a clean bowl. It is then mmm mmm tasty.

Also, Gavin managed to avoid looking like a tool most of the night. Then, this happened as we waited for Joe in the parking lot. Followed by this conversation:

Gavin: "I hate looking like a tool!"
Us in unison: "Then don't!"
Gavin: "But its so hard!"

Finally, Gavin and Justin retard-wrestled in the parking lot. Gavin looks like he is trying the crane thing from karate kid, while Justin whips him like a red headed step child.

Stage 4: Mongolian BBQ

2005-04-30T14:50:00.000-04:00

As it says, the tastey Mongolian BBQ in Radford is up next. Radford isnt exactly Blacksburg, but sometimes you have to stray to get to the good places. If you havnt eaten at a Mongolian BBQ, i suggest you do.

A look back: Boudreaux's

2005-04-30T12:03:00.000-04:00

To start off, Boudreaux's is not for the faint of heart. It's a cajun-themed place and as such, to truly enjoy the food you must enjoy what is spicey. The soups, the sandwiches, the meals - most of them are quite spicey, yet also quite delicious. Assuming you're looking for such an experience, Boudreaux's is the place for you. We came a little bit late to the game for Boudreaux's, not discovering it until this year. But Gavin and I insisted it be added to the tour based on our experience there.

Going to Boudreaux's, you have to know what they're famous for. The first thing is Po Boy sandwiches, basically these wonderful baguette creations that are loaded up with your choice of meat and some cajun mayeaux, of which I am quite partial to. Some other notable dishes are their blackened burger and chicken meals, which are seared with a brilliant array of cajun spices, and also their gator bites. The gator bites are mainly there to provide a talking point, as if you didn't know better you could be eating chicken fingers. Once again, dip them in the cajun mayeaux, you won't be disappointed.

The second aspect of Boudreaux's that is great to try is their collection of beers from Belgium, which are often discounted depending on the night you go. Grab yourself a large amount of these things for you and your friends and drink up. I'm quite partial to the Corsendonk Brown myself.

Boudreaux's is a little different than most places around Blacksburg, but I've found it can fill that little niche for something spicy that we often get a craving for.

The tour's meal recommendations

Justin
Blackened Bleu Burger (Seared with spices and topped with bleu cheese and mayeaux)
Gumbo Ya-Ya (Andouille sausage and chicken make this spicy soup excellent)
Corsendonk Brown Beer (As stated above, this is one of the few times I'll go for more expensive beer, but it's worth it)

Gavin
Alligator Bites - Spicy and vaguely chicken-like. For all I know they could be chicken nuggets with cajun spices, but still damn good.
Gumbo Ya-Ya - Excellent pre-dinner for those who enjoy a little meat in their soup... no innuendo intended.
Crawdad Po-Boy - I think the picture above says it all... delicious

Russ
Alligator Bites - Tastes just like chicken, a novelty, but good none-the-less.
Crawfish Po' Boy - Only thing i've had there, but quite good.

Stage 3: Boudreaux's (The Results)

2005-04-30T01:11:00.000-04:00

This was the first time I had ever been to Boudreaux's. After trials and tribulations, we finally got there.

We had some alligator and some Gumbo. We caught Mario trying to sneak off his diet. Gavin gives him a toolish look.

Gavin and I both had Crawfish Po' Boy sammiches. They were tasty.

We also saw a bizarro Neil Patrick Harris (no way NPH would do that).

Here is the standard group photo without me.

And a token picture of the sign that looks kinda cool.

Stage 3: Boudreaux's

2005-04-29T18:31:00.000-04:00

Tonight we are in for a treat. Cajun-fried deliciousness at Blacksburg's very own Louisiana-styled restaurant - Boudreaux's. And while the name may be hard to spell, the food speaks for itself. Of course, pictures and remembrances will be sure to follow. But the real question is, who will be man enough to order the gator strips?

A look back: The Cellar

2005-04-29T11:14:00.000-04:00

Ah, what can I say about The Cellar. Not very much actually. Last night was the first night I've actually eaten there, though I have been in there several times for drinking related events.

However, the Cellar will remain famous to me for two reasons. First, apparently this place has been around forever. This is the place my Dad used to go every week for a pizza and a pitcher of beer when he attended Tech thirty something years ago. They paid 2 bucks for this wonderful deal. We paid 12 bucks, but it's still a good deal. How much things change and how much they stay the same.

The other claim to fame for the Cellar is that it remains the favored drinking location of one Brad Kelley, Philosophy Student/Professor extrodinare. Brad's one of those guys who decided he loved being at college and therefore never left. He vows never to get married, he drinks all of the week, and he refuses to have classes before noon. In sum, if you ever have a chance to take a class with this guy, jump on it, you won't regret the easy A coupled with wonderful entertainment from a guy who knows what he's talking about. Plus, you might get a free pitcher of beer.

Speaking of beer. Last night we ordered three pitchers of beer. We were charged for one pitcher of beer. So I have come to the conclusion that the cellar and its serving staff are the best in the world.

The Tour's recommended Cellar meals

Justin
Feta Calzone (With the topping of your choice - enormous and delicious)
Cellar Meatballs (When they aren't dropped in my beer)
Beer (By the pitcher, three for the price of one!)

Russ
Chicken Combo Pizza - Choose two toppings. (Mushrooms and Pepperoni was good)
Newcastle and Woodchuck On tap and taste-tastic

Gavin
Spaghetti and Mac Daddy Meatballs (bigger than your fist and delicious to the core)
Garlic Bread (as anti-Atkins as they come)
Newcastle Dark Ale (i have a new-found respect for the British... limey bastards)

Stage 2: The Cellar (The Results)

2005-04-28T23:28:00.000-04:00

Today's stage was a long and gruelling trip downtown. Ok, well, it wasn't so gruelling, and we didn't get hit by any cars on mainstreet, which is good. We made a trip to a great little italian/greek place called The Cellar.

Justin's girlfriend Megan, his roommate Joe, and Joe's girlfriend Jess joined us.

Jess took a picture which means I'm actually in one. Gavin keeps his 'looking like a tool' streak alive, and apparantly i joined him.

Here are the giant meatballs that i spoke of earlier. This place is famous for them.

Joe and Justin are shamed that they might not finish their beer!

But they made it up the final hill and their streak stands intact.

Stage 2: The Cellar

2005-04-28T15:21:00.000-04:00

Tonight we are hitting up The Cellar, just off mainstreet for some italian/greek goodness. The Cellar is famous for its gigantic meatballs. Im sure at least one of us will order that. As usual, pictures et al to follow.

Tour de Food: B-Dubs

2005-04-28T10:29:00.000-04:00

Ahhh, good times.

BW3's (or B-Dubs to the ghetto fabulous among us) is our perpetual, weekly hang-out spot. I started frequenting B-Dubs around Sophomore year (2002-2003) after hearing coworkers tell of karaoke Tuesdays and 35 cent wing night. And while I never actually sang, I kept coming back for the food. Originally dubbed Buffalo Wild Wings and Weck and shortened to BW3s by loyal customers, this restaurant never fails to pack a punch with copious amounts of food at relatively cheap prices. The same cannot be said for their customer service sometimes. We've actually had a manager tell someone with us to "chill the fuck out" when asked if we could sit in the main dining area after midnight. However, that was a one-time deal and generally the service is pretty excellent.

But, I've got to agree with Justin when I say that the food comes in a far second to trivia. If you think 4 arrogant CS majors who think they're always right is bad, give them each a Funputer-esque trivia device and stand back to watch the sparks fly. And while inane arguments are common fare on any of our nights out, it gets pretty bad when Mario tries to convince us that he knew the primary tradecraft practiced in the province of Genoa is viniculture. And while I rarely have a chance to bust out some of my mad trivia skillz (with a z for emphasis), I generally school all opponents in Science Fiction, Movie, and Nascar (believe it or not) trivia games. All in all, B-Dubs equals good times and good food for all...

Unless you have a problem with their service.

Then you need to chill the fuck out.

A look back: B-dubs

2005-04-28T03:35:00.000-04:00

Ah, Buffalo Wild Wings, inexplicably shortened to BW3's and affectionally called B-Dubs by those 'in the know.' Land of the happy hour that lasts from noon to nine. Land of the wings that can make you cry if you're man enough to order them - an interesting irony to be sure. But most importantly, it is the land of 'the game.'

Our memories of BW3's are less from the food than from the entertainment. While it is true that buffalo wings are delicious, the wings always stand a distant second to what's on the TV screens. At most times, we are focused on one of the various trivia games that are up and running. If you're entering BW3's for the first time, grab one of the little computers that look like a speak-n-spell and begin the march up the Player's Plus ladder to become one of the elite.

Unfortunately, at most times these trivia games do not test your knowledge of trivia. Science, history, geography or literature - the category does not matter. These games are a test of your ability to successfully guess at questions on which you have perhaps a vague idea of what they are talking about. Despite this, at one point Bryan cheated by changing Mario's answer at the last second to knock him out of the lead. Mario still hasn't forgiven him, I'm sure. We take it very seriously. The winners are lauded for their cunning and ability. The losers are chided for their stupidity. At BW3's, the trivia game ranks your worth as a human being.

The other facet of BW3's numerous TVs are the many sporting events that we have watched there over the years. However, after watching us lose in Basketball and in the Sugar Bowl in the last year, I have come to the conclusion that B-dubs is a cursed place that only brings shame on the Hokie nation. So unless an exorcism is performed, I cannot reccommend watching Hokie sporting events there.

Come for the wings, stay for the trivia, leave at halftime in anger during sporting events. Good old BW3's.

The tour's recommended BW3's meals

Justin
Wings, Legs, Boneless Wings (Mild and Hot - if you're man enough to cry in front of your friends that is)
Chicken Wrapper (Comes with your choice of wing sauce as well as chips and salsa)
Cheese Fries (Because chicken is too damn healthy)
Beer (23 ounces are 75 cents off at Happy Hour)

Gavin
Boneless Wings w/ Teriyaki/Spicy Garlic sauce (best way to describe them are chicken nuggets on crack and twice as addictive)
Cheese Fries (every time I visit this place, my cholesterol and IQ swap a point)
Woodchuck on tap (so how much wood could a woodchuck chuck? go to hell)

Mario (Low Carb)
Legs - they're just half a dollar on Wednesdays and you can easily fit 10-12 in you.
A warm glass of...- CHILL THE FUCK OUT.

Russ
Boneless Wings - Medium, Hot, Sweet BBQ, Hot BBQ
50 Cent Legs - Medium, Sweet BBQ. Get extras and take them home, they are cheap.
Newcastle Brown Ale - On tap and delicious.

Stage 1: B-dubs (The Results)

2005-04-28T01:45:00.000-04:00

Well, I was kinda right. Tonight at bdubs Mario got 10 legs instead of 12, but I was dead on with Gavin not getting legs at all..

Also, as predicted, one of us won the NTN trivia game, though I wasnt bold enough to predict that it was going to be me.

During dinner, Gavin tried to not look like a tool, but failed.

After dinner, he finally succeeded in looking normal, Mario did not. But Mario is not normal.

Stage 1: Buffalo Wild Wings (BW3's)

2005-04-27T18:50:00.000-04:00

Tonight we will be going to B-dubs for 50 cent leg night. Gavin will invariably get something that is not 50 cent legs, Mario will gorge on 12 legs, and we will play NTN trivia, with one of us winning each game hopefully (it happens frequently). Pictures, details, recommendations, and Justin waxing nostalgic will likely follow.

Oh yeah, and they should bring back the hot fudge brownie for dessert. Those were oh so tasty.

A look back: Macado's

2005-04-27T16:12:00.000-04:00

Well well, the journey begins... without me. Yes, I was incommunicado last night so I missed the beginning of the tour, but I'll be back tonight. Despite missing tonight's event, I still wanted to take this opportunity to recount some memories and random thoughts about Macado's. Hopefully this will continue for each of our stops.

Probably everyone's got a Macado's type place no matter where you are. They serve good sandwiches, have great drink specials and have an obscene amount of goofy shit on the walls. So how has Macado's become a mainstay of our diet over the years? Well there's this dip. A delicious cheesy dip. While some of us argue for black bean and others for salsa, we are all in agreement that the cheese dips are a necessary component of a sucessful Macado's meal. From the times where Bryan attempted to claim the entire hard cheese topping of the dip, to the times where we have had two people alone split the dip, to today where Mario eats the dip with a spoon as an attempt to stay on a low carb diet, the cheese dips have been an everpresent part of our college career.

The second claim to fame that Macado's has is that it has become the location where half of us turned 21 and had our first legal drink. On my 21st birthday, I walked in with a giant sign around my neck that had '21' on it, which quickly had balloons tied to it until it floated upwards and attempted to choke me. We've had birthdays where people have ran the gamut on drink specials, trying every strange drink they have on sale that night, to the simpler birthdays, where Joe and I split three pitchers of beer. Either way, Macado's has been a great place for us to celebrate the big old two-one.

(Russ): Macado's is also one of the best places to grab lunch before a football game, we've never had problems being seated, even with huge groups.

The tour's recommended Macado's meals

Justin
Black Bean Cheese Dip
Dietrich's Delight - Bacon, Turkey, Ham, Cheese on a Toasted Bagel
Buffalo Wings (25 cents each on Monday!)
Beer (a lot)

Russ
Salsa Con Queso (Justin's Spanish ain't up to par)
The Johnee Dee - Grilled Chicken, Pepperoni, and Provolone on a Toasted Bagel
Chicken Parmesan Wrap - Grilled Chicken Strips, Provolone, and Lettuce in a Wrap (I get it without the parmesan pepper dressing, but others seem to like it with)

Gavin
Black Bean Cheese Dip... Con Queso
Big Daddy - double portion of sliced steak, grilled portobello mushrooms, mayo and onions with melted Swiss and American cheese (one word, delicious)
Johnee Dee (ditto)

Mario (Low Carb)
Chili - comes with chips that you probably shouldn't eat.
Broccoli n' Cheese - good starter, don't eat the bread.
Chicken Caesar Salad - big enough for dinner, supplement with a soup.

More to come..

Prologue: Five Guys Macado's

2005-04-26T23:55:00.000-04:00

So we got off to an anticlimactic start tonight. We were planning on going to Five Guys for the prologue of the Tour. Unfortunately, we neglected to remember that Five Guys closes at 10pm. Justin was also nowhere to be found. After standing around for too damned long we decided to start next door with Macado's.

We all ate our usual, pretty much, except Gavin got some kind of ice cream liqueur drink thing. Gotta get to work, nothing interesting happened, just the usual arguing about the most inane bullshit.

(and Mario pondered why Gavin looks like such a tool..)

List of Restaurants..

2005-04-26T13:11:00.000-04:00

List of restaurants.. dates will come later.. (suggestions welcome)

Sycamore Deli
Macado's
PK's
Mike's Grill
BW3's
Boudreaux's
Souvlaki
Double Dragon
El Rod's
Backstreets
Mongolian Grill
The Cellar
Hokie House
Hunan King
Kabuki
Abby's
The Nerv

Strike-through indicates not on the list anymore, italics is a possible addition, and bold is the current final destination.