Apartment #1034 Weekly Din-Din Thread

[Ugly Bastard]

f3lix's cumulative rating totals after 5 meals: 119.9

tonguegina's cumulative rating totals after 5 meals: 126.6

Ugly Bastard's cumulative rating totals after 5 meals: 124.0

Orgazmo's cumulative rating totals after 5 meals: 130.1

[Ugly Bastard]

F3lix kicked off Round 5 with a breakfast themed meal this week.

Beverage: Mamossas

Very nice beverage. Complimented the meal perfectly.

Appetizer: N/A

This isn't the type of meal you'd normally serve an appetizer with, so, in general, I'm fine with there not being one.

Main Course: Pancakes, French Toast, Biscuits and Gravy, Eggs, and Bacon; with standard condiments

Alright let's spend some time talking about the main course. You promised you'd be serving the "complete opposite of steak and potatoes" (which made me think "vegetable stir fry with tofu"), so I was a bit surprised to come back and see you frying eggs and bacon. I guess our ideas of "complete opposite of steak and potatoes" are a bit different.

Firstly, I'd like to say I appreciate you serving breakfast for dinner. You were the first to do such a thing, which is a big plus for you. If someone else had done anything similar to this before you, I would not have been fond of the theme selection; but since you popped the cherry on breakfast for dinner, I can truly say I think it was a good idea and that I appreciate it.

The meal itself though presented some problems in my eyes. You presented a wide array of items buffet-style, which was nice, but personally, I would rather have had a more focused non-buffet meal. By this I mean some type of a breakfast casserole served with cinnamon rolls and salsa-eggs or some other type of a non-buffet higher specialized meal.

The problem with this meal was, yes, you had a lot of items to choose from, but none of them tasted particularly good to me. They all tasted like the same old shit I've had at other breakfast buffets. What I'm saying is, if you had specialized and made something specific, like chocolate chip pancakes with a side of fruit and bacon, that would make a great breakfast dinner. To me this was a pretty boring tasting breakfast smorgasbord that lacked a unique flavor.

It looks like a lot of effort was put forth into this meal. By both you and your girlfriend. I acknowledge the fact that this meal would have been near impossible to put together w/o her help, but, not to sound like a broken record, I view this system as something girlfriends shouldn't have a place in. Not that I don't appreciate her helping you feed us, but to me, that's not what this weekly meal tradition is about. So, I'm docking the standard 0.5 for that.

I think I would be giving you a much higher score if you had prepared the whole meal by yourself, and rather than serving a buffet of food, serve a more concentrated specialized meal. I've never been fond of buffets, so I realize my personal distaste for buffets is biting you in the ass on this meal. But I just felt like this meal lacked anything special.

Dessert: N/A

Hard to serve a dessert (which are typically sweet) when the main course consisted of so much sugar. No fault.

Intangibles:

There were a few other weird things about this meal I'd like to discuss. I realize I'm getting nit-picky here, but I was a bit surprised to come to the table and see my unopened jar of jelly sitting there for communal use. Thankfully it's Sugar-Free so no one wanted to touch it. However, tonguegina's normal jelly was sitting out there, which seemed to get some use. I just thought it was weird that you put your other roommates' food on the table for your meal. I mean, theoretically, if Orgazmo ate the entire jar of sugar-free jelly, what were you going to do? Buy me another one? Or was I just biting the bullet for you on that part of the meal? I'm not docking you points for this, I just wanted to mention it since it sort of struck me as odd that you didn't buy (or otherwise provide) your own jelly to this meal. I mean, using someone else's dishes, obviously fine. But condiments? I dunno... maybe I'm making something out of nothing here and I guess when I think about it, I've used other people's spices and shit. In the end it's not the end of the world since the jelly's only like $3. I guess I just thought it was weird, that's all...

You did a nice job serving and presenting the meal. We seemed to have a decent quantity of most items, and on the whole, I enjoyed the theme of having breakfast for dinner. The theme had a lot of potential that really could have gone somewhere. But in the end, all I saw where bland buffet items I've been cornered into eating dozens of times in my life. As is standard for your meals, you put forth a lot of effort; and that is something that is not going un-noticed or un-appreciated.

If I gave this meal too high of a score, I would be suggesting that I liked it more than any lower-scored meal, which I do not wish to be the case. This was one of my least favorites so it's only fitting I score it as such. 7.1

[tonguegina]

I didn't like how quick the meal was. This was obviously due to the lack of appetizer and desert (neither of which I really missed). It just seemed like for all the work that the meal had to have taken, we were done in like five minutes...left sitting there thinking, "ok now what?" I did like the mamossas. I've always been a fan.

Overall, the meal tasted good, and I appreciate doing something new. 8.2

P.S. UB, there are no ratings for last week on the main post of this thread. I don't know if you accidentally erased them while revising it last night or if they were never posted. Just a heads up.

[Orgazmo]

I was actually pleasantly surprised with this meal. When I walked in to see you preparing breakfast for dinner, I wasn't very pleased. Traditionally, I've been neither a fan of breakfast nor breakfast items. That said, when I sat down and started eating everything, it was mostly pretty decent.

Unlike UB, I don't think the exclusion of both appetizer and dessert are completely excusable. Overlooking an appetizer alone would be completely understandable with this meal...maybe saying no to the dessert if the appetizer were there...but stiffing both left me eating without anything to which I could look forward (actually, I was looking forward to dessert the whole time...until after the main course when it was noted that it didn't exist). On top of this, as tongue already said, this made the meal last like...15 minutes. It was in and out and without any real conversation that normally flows with the other meals.

You still provided a pretty decent meal with a lot of choices. For that I thank you and give you an 8.2.

[f3lix]

In reference to the comment UB made about using condiments for communal use... We all have completely different likes and dislikes for condiments and our likes and dislikes for foods. I figured that anything that you would like on top of your food would already be in the refridgerator. I also felt we, in no way, need more crap put in there (i.e. double the jelly jars) when we are already filling it to the max. That is my reasoning for letting you use your own likings on your meal. I hope I see similar treatment in future meals, so that we can help each other out instead of all fighting for ourselves.

[Ugly Bastard]

I have no idea what you just said.

[THEINCREDIBLEdork]

he said

Originally Posted by f3lix

In reference to the comment UB made about using condiments for communal use... We all have completely different likes and dislikes for condiments and our likes and dislikes for foods. I figured that anything that you would like on top of your food would already be in the refridgerator. I also felt we, in no way, need more crap put in there (i.e. double the jelly jars) when we are already filling it to the max. That is my reasoning for letting you use your own likings on your meal. I hope I see similar treatment in future meals, so that we can help each other out instead of all fighting for ourselves.

[Carnivorous Flavor]

i love you guys.

breakfast dinner is a great concept...especially pancakes...my dad did it alot...

croissants and mini bagel and cream cheese(specialty ones...flavored cream cheese etc) should have been th e appetizers.....

cinnamon rolls for dessert.......

still fits the theme.......also..was it a buffet or family style???? buffet means all food lined up single file, you load the plate then sit down to eat.....family means you have a big ass table and put the food in the middle annd you
all just reach over each other and pig out....... a "family" is great..a feast

and the word is mimosa....bloody marys are also suitable for "breakfast"

[Mr. Blonde]

Originally Posted by Carnivorous Flavor

is mimosa....bloody marys are also suitable for "breakfast"

Thank you...I looked it up and got like "marmosets" and shit...I had no idea what it was. Champagne and OJ, is that correct? Hm.

Originally Posted by Ugly Bastard

I have no idea what you just said.

I don't know if you were just being difficult or not, but basically he's saying that he already had one jelly on the table, so he wasn't using yours for his own selfish reasons for the group; he put it on there because he figured since it was yours, you would rather have your own condiment on your food rather than one he provided.

[Ugly Bastard]

He didn't provide one though, Blonde. Not to be a dick, but you have no frame of reference in this conversation. Just like Donnie on the Big Lebowski. He provided tonguegina's jelly and my jelly for his meal. I already said this wasn't a big deal and I don't want it to turn into one, so let's not go trying to analyze things we have no frame of reference on.

I think I understand what f3lix was trying to say. While confusing, I see his point.

[Mr. Blonde]

Your post is my frame of reference. You want me to comment more accurately, then be more articulate in your posts. If you don't want me or anybody else to comment at all, then don't post it on a board when/if the only people you care to give the review to are your roommates. They have dry erase boards for that.

[Ugly Bastard]

Originally Posted by Ugly Bastard

I was a bit surprised to come to the table and see my unopened jar of jelly sitting there for communal use...tonguegina's normal jelly was sitting out there [too]....it sort of struck me as odd that you didn't buy (or otherwise provide) your own jelly to this meal

Could I be more clear, douchebag?

[Mr. Blonde]

Better.

[Repugnant Abomination]

Cat fight!

[Ugly Bastard]

tonguegina prepared meal #22 for us last week.

Beverage: Yellow Tail Chardonnay

Tasty, went well with the meal.

Appetizer: N/A

I guess we were supposed to have some variation of polenta for an appetizer, but that sorta fell apart so it was just added to the main course.

Main Course: Chicken Parmesan with Polenta and Smashed Parmesan Potatoes

Alright, main course. First, it was good. I went back for seconds on everything. You served a large quantity of chicken, which was appreciated. The homemade marinara sauce on the chicken tasted great. The potatoes didn't blow my skirt up, but they were good enough to go up for seconds.

I'd say the biggest complaint I'd have to make about this meal is that, with a couple exceptions, it was pretty much the same meal you served in week #18. Up until that point the scores I had been giving you had been increasing every week. This time that pattern is going to have to change.

That said the meal was pretty tasty. I don't have much to say beyond that. It was good. I ate a lot of it. I just wish it wasn't basically the same thing we had last time you cooked.

Dessert: Oreo Cream Pie

One of the best desserts of the year. My only complaint is that we all weren't served our own full pie. I probably could have eaten an entire one. This tasted amazing. Especially for a freezer section pie. (I'm not actually taking away points for not serving us a whole pie - just emphasizing how much I enjoyed this dessert).

Conclusion:

You did a fine job of serving once again. The fact that you're a waiter by trade is evident during your meals. The meal tasted good. For what it was, you did a wonderful job with it. The only problem is, "it was" what we "had last time". 7.9

[f3lix]

Beverage: Yellow Tail Chardonnay

My favorite wine yet, good choice UB...

Main Course: I, too, feel that this was the same meal as week 18 and your third chicken meal served this year. I loved the polenta and everything about the food, but it was just too similar.

Dessert: very, very good and I'm happy you didn't serve more, for reasons that don't involve eating.

Fine job, I was happy. 7.7

[Orgazmo]

Beverage: It was delicious. Agreeing with f3lix, it is definitely my favorite wine to date. Nice work.

The Meal: It's already been said...but it was week 18 part 2. Not only that, it was kinda like tongue's meal part 4...what with the chicken (though it has been switched up a bit more in the past I guess). The similarities to 18 were huge though...including my distaste for the...taste. For a review on this meal, you could probably just read what I wrote about #18...because I felt exactly the same way.

Dessert: Said before, best tasting dessert yet. I wanted to eat as much as was available. Unfortunately that was only one serving size (which is probably normal...can't fault you for that).

In the end: The meal was solid in its own right...but, when taking all else into consideration, it gets decently docked. 8.0

[f3lix]

Ugly Bastard presented us with a wonderful Mediteranian themed meal. His words were that when he was in Houston, the residents ate this food, so he wanted to bring this food to us. Thank God he did, this meal was incredible.

Beverage: Turning Leaf Merlot

I liked this wine, especially since you served it with water. It made that bitter aftertaste go away with a swig of h2o.

Appetizer: Greek Salad with Pitas and Hummis

This was my first exposure to the salad without lettuce. The salad was excellent, the pitas and hummis made a wonderful accompaniment. What I really appreciated was your telling us the many varieties that could come from these three foods.

Main Course Lamb Masala with Jeweled Rice and Asparagus

Are you fucking kidding me? You served us lamb? For that entire main course, I loved you. The asparagus was also fantastic, and was agreed by the others considering our verbal fighting over who got 2nds. The jeweled rice was ok. I don't really like raisons, so this probably had most to do with the dish not overwhelming my taste buds, but I did care a lot for the rice portion.

Dessert: Kakalava with Vanilla Ice Cream

What a treat the kakalava was. You were wise in serving ice cream with it, which accompanied the tasty pastry well.

UB, you seemed to not miss a single step with this meal. I liked that we had time to digest each course before we moved to the next. I appreciated everything you did with the food.

As great of a meal this was, I did find a few problems, and it had nothing to do with the food. Your timing was off. I have noticed your pattern with saying a meal will be ready at a certain time and then you surprise us by it being ready up to an hour early. The problem with this, is if someone has plans or they plan to do something that will conclude near dinner time, suddenly there is a problem. In this instance it was not that big of a deal, but I was getting words tossed at me for not finishing my game when I had planned on being done about 10 minutes before your meal was served.

What goes along with this, is that you asked to use my pot. This is fine and I have no problems with this. But you also used all eight of my plates without asking. I am just a bit curious why you would ask to use one pot and not all of my plates. Like I said last night, if you use my things, I ask that you rinse the plate (or glasses or silverware, etc...) right after using them, so that food or sauce or anything else does not start to stick to it. You may have a different idea about how to clean your own plates, but when you use mine, that's all I ask. I was quite dissappointed to see that you had not done this after I asked you to do it. I was, however, very happy to see that they had been washed and were ready for this morning's breakfast I had, so it was not a big deal.

With that aside, I was thrilled to see that you cleaned the kitchen counters and stovetop afterwards. This was a complete and pleasant shock to me and made up for the non-meal issues from the night before.

UB, I proudly and gladly present you and the effort, knowledge, and skill put forth in your meal my first 10.0 for the year. Thank you for a wonderful and well presented meal.

[Orgazmo]

Beverage: Turning Leaf Merlot

It was good. Beverages seem to be a pretty standard thing here...I mean, we either get a glass of wine or a case of beer and call it a day. You did just that...and it was good.

Appetizer: Greek Salad with Pitas and Hummis

I was not a fan of this appetizer's taste. Though the salad both looked and smelled delicious, it was my opinion that it severely lacked any type of real flavor. Along with this, I thought that the hummis tasted like pig semen. The pita was a saving grace...but it's really just bread. My distaste for the appetizer doesn't mean that it wasn't good. To anyone with eyes and a decent sense about them, it was obviously well-themed and very taste-bud-expandy...it just didn't tickle me like I had hoped.

Mainbear: Lamb Masala with Jewel Rice and Asparagus

I'll begin with the weak link: I didn't like the rice at all. It was a nice idea and stuff...but, like the appetizer, it just didn't deliver. Not dwelling on that, the rest of the main course was absofuckinglutely delicious. Clearly the best main course of the year. The asparagus was asparagus...standard and delicious, as always. The lamb though...dear Christ the lamb. Let's put it this way...while you guys weren't looking, I rubbed a small piece of the lamb on my penis and immediately ejaculated. It was that good.

Dessert: Balkdkalava and Ice Cream

I came again.

On the whole...

The meal was fantittyfuckingtastic. Can it be topped? Well Christ yes it can, that's why giving it a 10 is a dumbass move. Was it the best meal yet, though? Far and away. (fromhere)

9.6

[Carnivorous Flavor]

i'm assuming you retards mean BAKLAVA.......light pastry dough(phyllo), walnuts, cinnamon, clove, sugar etc.........????????????

[tonguegina]

I was just going to say...Baklava. It was alright, but I've had better. That comes from being store bought, I'm used to freshly baked baklava.

The salad was quite possibly the best part of the meal, which is kind of surprising considering it's such a simple dish. Very tasty indeed.

The lamb was good. I had never had lamb before, so you get points for that. The rice with it was really nothing special, but that's ok too.

Didn't care for the wine, but then I rarely do. This seemed really strong to me. There was water, though.

Note to the next person that makes asparagus: we like it. Make at least 10-15 pounds.

All in all, not a bad meal. I liked that you did something other than the food that most of us already know, like Italian and Mexican. Good work. My favorite meal that I didn't cook: 9.1

[Carnivorous Flavor]

use lemon juice, or lemon pepper on asparagus....not too much though.

and i'm amazed that you all liked the LAMB...most people dont lik e the flavor, they usually call it "gamey"...........well done men...well done.

[Ugly Bastard]

Originally Posted by Carnivorous Flavor

use lemon juice on asparagus....not too much though.

I did.

[Carnivorous Flavor]

very well then my man!.....look for CORIANDER in the spice aisle....try that next time. coriander is not related to lemon at all but has a lemony taste...but with subtle undertones of other goodness.


do you guys like to cook or just like to cook or just to compete at anything?
big ups on the lamb again my man! did you use "bone in chops" or what?

[Ugly Bastard]

Bone in chops, yes. 3 pounds of lamb for the 4 of us.

Personally, I enjoy cooking quite a lot. I also don't mind the competition, but I get most of my kicks off of knowing I made a meal my roommates greatly enjoyed moreso than the standings and shit.