Now That's Good Eatin'

To quote my friend Doug, if I could describe buffets in one word, and it could be hyphenated, it would be bom-diggedy. I love buffets. Period. But this brings about the question: What is the best kind of buffet? Well, come along as I explore this question.

I've already discussed my love of salad bars. I don't know how you can't love a good salad bar, but the only places I know of that have them anymore are Ruby Tuesday's and Frisch's Big Boy. The salad bar at Ruby Tuesday is damn good, with any selection you can think of, but Frisch's, while still excellent, is a bit lacking. Generally, some local restaurants offer salad bars as well, but overall the salad bar is an endangered species that must be preserved. But while they are an excellent addition to any meal, they are not the best.

What about Chinese Buffets? I used to have an absolute obsession with them, and I had two friends that felt the same way. A Chinese buffet was where I started out my 21st birthday celebration (that place, sadly, is no longer there), and I have had several great memories at them. Back in the summer of '02 myself and two friends even began what we labeled the "Chinese Buffet Club" (CBC). We made weekly excursions to different Chinese buffets around Louisville in an attempt to find the best. While the club was short-lived, the memories have lasted until this day. And my love of Chinese buffets has not quit. Most Chinese buffets offer at least some form of "real" Chinese food, and not just the Americanized version you find at Chinese restaurants. Generally, about 2/3 of what you see at a Chinese restaurant or buffet is not really native to China, but if you look hard enough you can find some true Chinese cuisine, and this is one of the reasons Chinese buffets remain near the top of my buffet list.

Pizza buffets are another somewhat rare breed that may be spreading a bit. Here in Louisville there are several pizza buffet options for my pleasure. Mr. Gatti's was where I first discovered these buffets, yet this chain consists of a number of trashy restaurants in shady areas of town, so I rarely frequent them anymore, especially since the opening of Cici's. Now, Cici's has excellent pizza if you like that kind of thing and they also have a SALAD BAR!! This chain prides itself on clean restaurants and friendly service, and I must say that they have achieved both. And for $5.29 you can stuff your face until you burst with several classic pizzas, as well as some Cici's originals, including a Spirar Macaroni and Cheese pizza. Sounds nasty but just try it...it's fantastic. Of course, in any city, your best pizza buffets are going to be at local pizza restaurants. My two personal favorites are Bearno's and Fat Jimmy's, which have lunch buffets, generally from 11:00 am - 2:00 pm. I'm sure there are several other places in Louisville and St. Louis that have these, but these are the high points.

Breakfast buffets. This could possibly take the cake as my favorite kind of buffet. I remember as a child going to Shoney's several times each year on Sunday mornings just for their buffet. These were incredible mornings where I had my fill in pancakes, sausage, eggs, bacon, biscuits, fruit and just about anything else you could imagine. Today, my favorite breakfast buffet is at Frisch's, which has a similar, if not identical, buffet to Shoney's (I believe they are owned by the same company, but I may be wrong). I probably spend about 1 Sunday per month eating Frisch's breakfast bar, and I always come away feeling nasty but satisfied. Of course, I think my favorite breakfast bar ever may have been a dream. I remember one time on a trip to Louisville (before I lived there, on a visit) I stopped at a McDonald's that had a breakfast buffet. WHAT!!! You read correctly, a McDonald's breakfast bar!! I really don't know how it can get any better than that, as I had my fill in sausage biscuits and pancakes for about $5 I believe. Unfortunately, I've never seen one since, so I don't know if this was some delightful dream or just a lucky discovery. I may never know.

However, I think the king of all buffets is the casino buffet. How can you argue when a casino buffet has all of the above buffets wrapped into one (maybe not breakfast, but close enough). I have never found a Casino buffet I didn't like. Our buffet here in Louisville at Caesar's Indiana is fantastic, especially since I've eaten there about 4 times and never once paid for it. While not the biggest or the best, with about 100 or more selections to choose from, you can't go wrong. Same can be said to the only casino buffet I've ever tried in St. Louis at Ameristar. However, the king of casino buffets is of course, in Las Vegas, at the Bellagio. For the low low price of $29.99 you can eat like a king. This buffet just doesn't end, and you can get lost trying to find your way from the Chinese section to the desserts. This place is like heaven on earth, and is a place you must visit at least once in a lifetime. Of course, the Bellagio buffet holds a special place in my heart as it is where I walked within 18 inches of Mike Tyson and nearly got my picture taken with him, except we decided to leave him in peace, since enough people had already flocked to him.

So there you have it, my Buffet Blog. I've left a few out but I think I hit on the highlights. And now I'm hungry and I think I'm going to organize a casino buffet night among my friends.

On a final note, I have found a new love in my life. The TGI Friday's Fiery Chicken Popper Sandwich. It's basically fried chicken patty with fantastic breading, topped with cheese, jalapeno peppers, I think cream cheese of some sort and I don't even remember what else. It comes with fries and a jalapeno popper. Just trust me when I recommend you try it. You will not be disappointed.