Qdoba (of Conshohocken)

200 West Ridge Pike #108
Conshohocken, PA 19428
(484) 243-6118
Website

While it may not be my typical fare, I have some love for fast food. In particular, new "fast casual" chains where they are serving actual food, and not the garbage you get at the Golden Arches. Qdoba is a weakness of mine, especially with all of the new spicy options. I get so tired of "hot" not actually being hot. They put the heat into some spicy queso dips, and it has improved my love of burrito-bar chains. Oh, and they invited me to come "roll my own" at a grand opening in Conshy which was a perfect fit for an April twentieth posting. See below for video.

The new interior is much sleeker than what I was used to. ¡Qué color! They're officially opening tomorrow and are having a DJ with some free foods tonight. If you can't make that, then click here to get a coupon for free chips and salsa tomorrow only.

I was brought some of the new quesos to sample. The spicy version was called "el Diablo" and it brought the heat. Plus, it was spicy cheese. So it was obviously a winner. The three cheese blend was a mixture of cheese thinned with tortilla soup. A good use of resources. It certainly had more complexity than the capsaicin version.

The next sample was "Mexican Gumbo" which was really just the burrito ingredients served over rice and tortilla soup. Still, it showed some creativity, and let you create the stew you want.

We were also treated to a handmade guac tutorial. where they took 87 (appx) avocados, and smashed them using a giant masher. It was pretty impressive for a burrito chain, Especially if you have ever had WAWA's guac, which tastes like citric acid mixed with unripe bananas.

The guacamole was good, could have used a bit more salt, but the acidity was there, and I was more than happy to eat well over my fair share.

Now for the moment of truth. Qdoba - behind the glass. I strapped on my gloves and showed my dinner mates how the rolling was done.

My personal trainer was very knowledgeable (as was all of the staff we encountered) and anxious to help.

I used almost everything on the line.

Including their bacon jalapeño queso. That's right, they have 3 different kinds and I put a bit of each on my pile. The bacon jalapeño is amazing.

See a video below if you want to waste a minute watching me roll a giant burrito and struggle to atone for my glutenous choices on the line.

Now that was just the roll, you can waste 6 more minutes of your life and watch me down the entire line if you want. CLICK HERE to do so.

My dining mates were convinced they rolled a better burrito. But I disagree.

Guess which one is mine?

So anyway, check out the new menu at Qboda, they have a whole bunch of new menu items, and possibly win a card for a free entree... Come back tomorrow and enter to win.

Ted's Place

103 Spring Mill Avenue
Conshohocken, PA 19428
(610) 828-3966

Right by one of the more popular night life areas in Conshohocken sits a nondescript little restaurant that had all of the promise of a solid Mom-and-Pop style pizza and steak shop. And that promise came to fruition with my first bite of grinder.

The interior harkens back to steak and pizza shops of decades past, and the food provides the type of timeless comfort that will have me coming back for more.

I couldn't shy away from the hot Italian grinder, as my last one ended somewhat disappointingly.

While this was no gourmet sandwich, it was nicely toasted, came with a very satisfactory amount of veggies, and had a salty kick to boot.

The meat was thinly stacked, but still plentiful enough to really bring home the saline taste in each bite. The veggies added a welcome bite of refreshment as opposed to the sodium infused meat and cheese they laid upon. This is a solid, cheap grinder, the kind that should be eaten on the way home from Little League games, and as a weeknight treat.

I also had to try the famous cheesesteak, which I ordered with extra American. Though I usually like my cheese interspersed with my meat, the sheer quantity allowed for tucking it down into the light and crunchy roll, providing for cheese in nearly every bite.

The meat was well seasoned and finely chopped, with sweet, tender onions plentifully interspersed throughout. Not to mention, there was no lack of steak on this sandwich.

At about $7 each, this is quite a bargain, and if you are looking for a good base to fill up on before hitting the many bars in the area, you can't go wrong here. I hear the pizza is also quite delicious, but that is for another trip.

Izenberg's Cafe

1600 Butler Pike
Conshohocken, PA 19428
(610) 828-8900
Website

I was recently out doing some holiday shopping in Plymouth Meeting, and really worked up an appetite. There was no way I was making it back to the city without stopping first for a snack.

Izenberg's Cafe is an unassuming little brick box attached to an auto shop on the Butler Pike, just outside of what's considered "Conshohocken Proper." It's a Jewish-style deli owned by a husband-wife duo, Julia and Fred Izenberg. "We cook our own savory meats, prepare all of our delicious soups from scratch, bake our own cakes, cookies, brownies, pies and other baked goods, and never, ever cook from a can or a box. Only fresh produce and top quality goods help us complete our delicious foods."

Here Julia is showing a bit of exaggerated enthusiasm towards a couple with a cute baby eating some bagels.

The menu is pretty extensive for such a tiny little kitchen - Fred's back there most of the time, putting care into all of his creations. Even though I really just needed something small(ish) to hold me over, I couldn't resist the sight of piled-high meat sandwiches on their "specialty items" page.

I went with the Hot BRISKET, and Julia was quick to back me up on the decision.

Don't let the aforementioned photo fool you - it's not served on rye, it comes on a kaiser roll, as well it should. It's served with fried onions, provolone and a creamy horseradish mayo that really stole the show. The brisket itself was tender and of very good quality.

But, it was dry. There was nary a sign of any jus. The creamy horseradish sauce helped to make up for some of the dryness, but only on the top half. I don't know if they keep it dry-wrapped back there like it's lunch meat, or what, but the sandwich could really use a lot more beef gravy to sweeten the deal.

A friend, whose self-control is much stronger than mine, did the health-conscious thing and got the veggie wrap. It too was a little dry, but isn't that what's to be expected of something as boring as sliced vegetables rolled up in a tortilla?

If I lived in the Conshohocken area, I'd probably visit on a semi-regular basis. I'd get to know Julia and Fred and have them whip up some jus for the benefit of the community.

-posted by gabulous

Tony A's aka Tony Roni's

200 West Ridge Pike
Conshohocken, PA 19428
(610) 825-4700
Website

I have heard time and time again that one of the best cheesesteaks around is located in Conshohocken. Last week, I even saw it in a CNN article. To be fair, the author does not live in Philadelphia, and he recommends three of the "best cheesesteaks around," none of which are actually in Philadelphia. So naturally I was highly skeptical. For example, didn't everyone stop with the Dalessandro's fever quite some time ago?

So anyway, I was visiting Conshy and I decided that I HAD to try a Tony A's. That's all well and good, except when I got to the location provided, I was dismayed to see a local chain, Tony Roni's had taken over. As it turns out, Tony A's is now Tony Roni's, but when I called and asked if it was Tony A's or Tony Roni's, the girl who answered said, "well it's the same thing." I was thoroughly confused, but decided to order some cheesesteaks anyway.

As you can see from the pictures, this place did NOT look like the hidden cheesesteak gem I had envisioned. It looked more like a Bravo pizza.

 

I decided to go with one chicken cheesesteak and one regular cheesesteak. I was actually sharing these, because I had just come from breakfast, where I made quick work out of a plate full of creamed chipped beef, and I didn't want to press my luck.

My first reaction was that the roll was different than anything I was used to. The second was remembering that I forgot to ask for extra cheese. The third was excitement when I saw that lack of cheese would not be a problem.

This was a healthy portion, and they really tucked quite a bit of meat into this roll. I must admit, this is a pretty near-perfect cheesesteak. Well-seasoned meat, ample amounts of cheese, and a fantastic roll for the job – it soaked up what little excess grease was around, all while holding up (with a good chew) nicely.

Next up was the chicken cheesesteak. Normally I am not a huge fan of chicken cheesesteaks, but this one was awfully tasty. Again, the abundance of cheese and well-seasoned meat paired nicely with the soft but chewy roll. Another winner.

You can read all about their story here, but I'll make it known that this store is the Original Tony A's/Tony Roni's – call it what you will...

Both sandwiches were above and beyond my expectations for Tony Roni's. I would be interested to see if all of the outposts of this store put out the same quality product. This is the first chain-cheesesteak I can wholly endorse, but I still think that the CNN author needs to visit some of the real Philly cheesesteak gems.