Chicken Olé

I wasn’t really sure what to expect.

I knew the chicken with molé sauce would be delicious; after all, this is Johnny Mitchell’s Smokehouse. But I didn’t have the foggiest idea of what it would look like, never mind what it would taste like. Jill told me that chicken olé is a traditional Mexican dish, but one that isn’t likely to be found at our local tex-mex restaurants.

Blending together ten different ingredients, the molé sauce is one of the more complicated items on Johnny’s menu. Since the sauce contains everything from cocoa to chiles, it was impossible for me to predict which flavor would dominate this interesting dish.

Even after trying the chicken olé, I can’t tell you which flavor is most pronounced. I’m still learning about the mysteries of the way flavors come together and I found it impossible to distinguish one spice from the others. All I can give you is the assurance that the results were amazing. The sauce, the chicken, the provolone, each piece perfectly complemented the others.

One of the things I found interesting about this dish is that the chicken tenders are on top of the molé sauce, instead of the sauce being dribbled over the chicken. The amount of sauce may at first seem overgenerous, even for three hearty chicken tenders. However, once you try the sauce, you understand that having more is definitely better. I found myself carefully bathing each and every morsel of chicken in the sauce, so that I could enjoy the maximum amount of this surprising and delicious sauce. After I finished the chicken, I couldn’t resist using my bread to sop up the remaining sauce. It was just that good!

The chicken olé comes with grits and black beans. These two sides were handpicked by Johnny and Jill because of how well they go with this dish. After trying this amazing combination, I agree that the grits and beans definitely bring out the best flavors in an already wonderful dish.

Check out the photos on Facebook.

Smokehouse Hamburger

I have a bit of a weakness for hamburgers. A perfectly cooked hamburger is a comfort food of sorts and always a special treat. Knowing that Johnny always cooks his meat just right, I was very excited to try his smokehouse hamburger.

This enormous half-pound burger is dressed up just the way Jill likes it: with provolone, cheddar, and a couple squirts of tangy and delicious smokehouse sauce. The two pieces of cheese tucked around the burger so adorably make the entire plate wonderfully inviting. Once the bun is piled high with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, purple onion, and the amazing burger itself, it’s almost too big to pick up or take a bite out of.

But take a bite of this burger I did. You probably won’t be surprised to learn that I loved it. The combination of savory meat, creamy cheesy and smokey sauce was irresistible. It’s not like me to eat an entire half-pound burger on my own but...

Before I knew it, this burger was gone gone gone.

Check out the facebook photos

Cheesecake is Back!

It's been off the menu for a while but now Johnny's New York style cheesecake is back! Come by for a slice anytime.

Hippie Meatloaf

Confession time: For the past couple weeks, I’ve been enjoying Johnny’s food and taking pictures as usual but I haven’t been sharing the experience with you. So here’s my best shot at reliving one afternoon...

My scrumptious meal today was hippie meatloaf with southern-style green beans and mashed potatoes. Right about now, you may be asking yourself “What on earth is a hippie meatloaf and why would I order it instead of Johnny’s amazing barbecue?”

First of all, hippie meatloaf is not your mama’s meatloaf! Even if you would consider yourself to be an anti-meatloaf kind of person, I strongly urge you to give this a try. Johnny’s meatloaf is unique and will probably make you sit back and say “woah! That’s meatloaf?!”

Part of the reason hippie meatloaf is so special is because of its unique mix of ingredients. . This meatloaf is 1/3 beef, 1/3 turkey, and 1/3 tofu. Bet you didn’t see that coming!

These three ingredients come together to make a rich meatloaf that appeals to beef and tofu lovers alike.

As you may have guessed, hippie meatloaf is Jill’s brainchild. Jill has been “playing with tofu” for twenty years and likes to surprise people with it. She says hippie meatloaf is a great recipe for helping people transition into healthy eating without feeling deprived.

I think Jill has definitely succeeded in her quest for healthy surprises. Hippie meatloaf has only 1/3 of the cholesterol of regular meatloaf but to me tastes 3 times as delicious. So next time you find yourself glancing over Johnny’s menu looking for the perfect dish to fill your tummy, give hippie meatloaf a chance. I promise you’ll like it.

Still a bit skeptical? Check out these pictures on Facebook.

Vacation's Over

Sorry to everyone who was disappointed with the lack of new posts this week. I've been out of town, away from my computer and Johnny's amazing food, so there hasn't been anything new to blog about. The good news is that I'm back now and you can look forward to a new post sometime this week. Yummy!

More Good News:

I've finally started loading delicious food pictures onto the Johnny Mitchell's Smokehouse Facebook page. These are the same as Flickr but it should be much easier for you to comment on your favorites.

Check it out HERE

and please become a fan :)

Coca Cola Cake

Johnny was making coca cola cake while I was at the Smokehouse on Tuesday afternoon. I was in for a treat because this batch turned out particularly delicious. Johnny says that it’s all about taking the time: you have to bake it just right, wait a certain amount of time before frosting it, and then take your time with the frosting. We’re all glad that he has this down to a science because Johnny’s cake is amazing.

The cake also turned out to be as photogenic as it was delicious. I posted the pictures on Flickr a couple days ago and had a surprising response:

Johnny’s coca cola cake looks so delicious that this group wants to include it in their picture-grouping. You can check out this group HERE.

So if perfect strangers think this cake looks delicious, I think it’s our duty to go to Johnny’s and give it a try :)

Check out more photos on Facebook

Nachos

These nachos will blow your mind!

If you’ve never ordered Johnny’s nachos, please take a look at the additional pictures on Flickr. Without seeing it for yourself, you would not believe how much Johnny and Jill pile onto this plate. Johnny’s nachos are not your typical ballpark fare of a tray of chips drizzled with cheese. Put that image out of your mind and instead envision nachos done right: a large Johnny Mitchell’s plate completely covered with delicious corn chips, heaped with black bean queso dip, the best brisket ever, tomatoes, onions, and extra cheese.

These nachos are truly a full meal for two people or a very generous appetizer for four or even six people.

This is the sort of dish that makes you want to bring all your friends to Johnny’s, just to have an excuse to order nachos!

Johnny’s brisket and black bean queso dip are two of my favorite items. I just never get over the flavorful tenderness of the brisket, sure to be the best you’ve ever had. As I think I’ve mentioned before, black beans are one of my favorite foods ever, so of course I love the magic that Johnny works to make these black beans even more delicious. Fortunately for me, the nachos are a perfect harmony of these two amazing foods. What’s not to love?

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