"Shrimp Nachos" Los Agaves (Santa Barbara, CA)

FINALLY something different!! At last I am able to add something new to my nacho topping belt-shrimp.   The family and I arrived in Cali on Tuesday to bring little Liz out to school and thus far the vacation has been nothing but a bundle of laughs. Just call us the Griswolds.  Well, first off the radio wasn't working in our rental car.  Now, you may say well then you should just talk to each other and to quit being so hooked on technology.  But, you try flying on a plane for eight hours and then sitting in a car for four and tell me you don't wish there was a little background noise.  There was a comment made about every single establishment we passed.  Hey look a Target, check out those pelicans, wow look at all these palm trees, look an Applebees, hey isn't that Beverly Hills?  Now, I get it we're in a new place and everything is exciting, but just because the back windows are tinted from the outside doesn't mean we can't see out of them.  Our next adventure was waiting in line at the Jay Leno show for 3 hours to realize that we were just ten minutes too late to actually get into the show and then make the four hour trek (there and back) the next day.  Well good news is we got in on Wednesday and actually were able to meet Jay at a red light on his way home after the show in his antique Bentley convertible.  So as my mother always says "it was meant to be."  On Thursday,  my Mom left her purse at a place we ate breakfast- meant to be huh?  You tell that to TSA when you're trying to get back to RI.   There was some stress later that day at UCSB's campus as Liz travelled from building to building attempting to tie up some loose ends so that she could actually begin school next week, she unfortunately discovered that all of the buildings on campus were closed.  Leave it to us Rosbottoms to wait until the absolute last minute for everything.  And finding a bed comforter, jesus, I have never seen someone take so long to decide on what should adorn their 5 inch dormitory mattress.  We visited 23 stores.  I wish I was kidding. But, finally the question was asked- "Kate what do you feel like doing?" I said, "I feel like eating." I had been doing some research on the local fare around here-imagine that me looking up restaurant menus and I found that Los Agaves was supposed to have the best Mexican food around.  So it was settled that's where we would go for dinner. It was a great little place where you ordered at the counter and then waited for the food to be brought to your table.  The menu had a variety of options including authentic Mexican favorites and a few new Mexican dishes that I'd never seen before. But, the dish that really caught my eye of course was nachos.  There were only two options: chicken or steak, but as we approached the counter the women behind the register mentioned that there was a shrimp option.  I looked at Liz with sparkles in my eyes and she knew- "We'll have the shrimp ones," she said.  The nachos arrived to our table only minutes later and they looked fantastic.  The chips tasted as if they had just been made- they were warm and crispy topped with refried beans, melted cheddar cheese, diced tomatoes, amazingly fresh guacamole, beautifully marinated shrimp, and doused with sour cream. I'll admit as anxious as I have been to try different nacho varieties, I've always been wary of nachos covered in seafood, but the shrimp was delicious.  It had a light lemon marinade that combined very well with a chip piled high with toppings.  The guacamole was one of the best I'd ever had, not too salty and not too thick.  The cheese and refried beans could be found on every layer of the nachos and the sour cream did not overwhelm the dish as it sometimes does.  These nachos were absolutely fantastic!! They are very high on the list.  I'm giving them a 9.4/10.

Mohegan Cafe and Brewery (Block Island, RI)

Sail away on the Block Island ferry, eat some nachos at Mohegan Cafe, sail away Block Island awaits you, best snack on the island I say. Just got back from my annual trip out to Block Island.  I've been visiting this small piece of New England paradise for over 15 years and I usually make it a point to take the ferry over at least once every summer. This summer, however I went over with a mission.  I had never noticed before if any restaurants served nachos and this year I discovered that four of them did and of course I wanted to try all of them.  I researched the different restaurants, read their reviews and narrowed it down to the restaurant with the most raved about nachos which were said to be at the Mohegan Cafe and Brewery in Old Harbor.  Luckily my parents and my aunt and uncle are very supportive of my nacho obsession and agreed to go with me to try these notorious nachos.  When we arrived at the Mohegan Cafe we decided that we'd all try one of the locally brewed beers.  I opted for the beer infused with chili pepper- big mistake.  I thought that it would complement the nachos well, but it did not.  The beer was overwhelmingly sickly spicy.  It left a horrible taste my mouth and acidic feel to my stomach.  I should have gone with a shirley temple- never disappoints.  Only about 10 minutes after we ordered, the heaping plate of nachos arrived.  As you see above they had an abundance of toppings including cheddar cheese, diced tomatoes, black olives, jalapenos, black beans, lettuce, salsa, sour cream and turkey chili with corn.  They were OUTstanding!  I have to admit I was very impressed. The portion was huge and nearly all chips were loaded with toppings.  The turkey chili was delicious and added a unique flavor and texture to the chips.  It was not too heavy, like some beef and bean chilis tend to be.  The salsa was great too, very fresh and sweet.  Hard to see in the picture, but the chips were tri-colored which added a little something extra and made the nachos really stand out. I was so glad that I had the chance to try these babies and may even have to take a second trip out before the summer's over for round two.  Definitely up there on the list! I'm giving them a 9.3/10.

The Willows (Narragansett, RI)

Every time I step into the Willows I am reminded of Saturday nights after Y swim meets playing Golf Pro or bowling while waiting for our food to arrive.  I've never been a patient person, especially when it comes to food, so entertaining distractions are a must and the "bathroom trick" works well too.  What is the bathroom trick you may ask? Well next time you're waiting for your food to arrive at a restaurant, excuse yourself to the bathroom and surely enough on your arrival back to your table, your food will be waiting for you.  It has a 93.4% success rate.  But, don't be that asshole that leaves the table seconds after ordering and questions my trick.  Back to the Willows and long, exhausting Y swim meets.  If you have read my previous post about Polly's nachos then you would know that there was never a shortage of my favorite snack in between races.  However, the nachos that I really craved after an exhausting 25 yd freestyle were the chili nachos at the Willows.  A Saturday night after a swim meet would go a little something like this- finish up swimming at 6pm, eight hours after you arrived for warm-up, take a 45 minute steaming hot shower-your muscles are killing you, butterfly's tough for an eight year old and wait impatiently in the Y lobby as your parents and their friends decide where we'll be eating.  This process usually takes about 20 minutes, even though 9 times of out 10 we ended up at the Willows.  We'd arrive at the Willows and demand that they find a way to accommodate all 43 of us immediately.  The next grueling task was deciding how many orders of nachos would be enough for the kids table.  Maura and Mollie were usually in charge of this- they'd recommend 6 or 7 orders and I was always grateful that I had found friends who had an appetite like mine.  We had decided that one order for every two kids was fair.  Our parents usually looked to us and shook their heads in disapproval.  Then, we'd counter with-"Well did you swim three races today? I didn't think so" and they soon realized they were never going to win this argument and quickly caved.  Then, we'd rush over to the game room, and distract ourselves, usually cheating the bowling game, until our food arrived.  Now, I haven't been to the Willows in a long time, but every time I step into the restaurant I am reminded of these Saturday nights.  I was feeling nostalgic after an exhausting day of drinking on the beach and decided we should stop in for some nachos.  Between the four of us we ordered the chili nachos and some mozzarella sticks-always a staple.  I was starving as rum and pineapples had served as lunch that day and couldn't wait a second longer for the nachos to arrive.  So I attempted the "bathroom trick" and sure enough, it worked!  When I arrived back to the table and saw those nachos my mind immediately reverted back to Saturday nights where all the kids would ferociously devour the nachos three minutes after they were set on the table.  I sat down looked at the plate and immediately was disappointed by the size.  I was always so impressed with how large the order was when I was younger and I thought to myself- did they just look bigger when I was eight? or has the Willows gotten cheap.  I knew it was the latter because I've never been intimidated by food.  I took my first bite, however, and was no longer worried about their size.  They tasted exactly as I had remembered.  The chili was sweet, the cheese was cheesy and the chips had an amazing crunch.  Now, the Willows do not serve a particularly fancy plate of nachos.  They arrive with Tostitos rounds, chili with beans, cheddar-jack cheese, lettuce, tomato, jalapenos, salsa and sour cream, but they sure are delicious.  They are evenly layered and loaded with toppings.  The soggy chips on the bottom are the delicious piled high with kidney beans and sour cream.  But, the best thing about them is the memories that they remind me of.  So, if you're ever visiting little Rhody I wholeheartedly recommend the nachos at the Willows.  They get a 9.1/10 because I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for them.

"BBQ Chicken Nachos" The Mews (Wakefield, RI)

Just got back to RI this week and have been spending a lot of time on the beach working on my glow...pretty much a bronze goddess at the moment.  And aside from the beach I've been dreaming of nachos and last night I went to the Mews, one of the best restaurants in RI, hands down-awesome vibe, great selection of food and 69 beers on tap!! Woooo can't beat that magic number.  Of course after ordering a little cocktail (Flirtini to be exact- it was delicious!!) I was starting to get the nacho munchies.  I decided I wanted to try the BBQ chicken nachos because I've tried all the other ones on the Mews' menu.  Now, I'm not the biggest BBQ fan, don't get me wrong I love a good breast of chicken marinated in BBQ sauce and grilled alongside a big ol' baked potato and corn on the cob in the summertime...I'm just not too fond of straight BBQ sauce all over my nachos.  I learned this last night.  In perfect Mews fashion the nachos were huge and they had all the toppings you could ever need-black beans, jack and cheddar cheeses, diced tomatoes, jalapenos, red onions (not my favorite), sour cream, salsa, shredded chicken and BBQ sauce.  I'll admit I was expecting the chicken to be doused in BBQ sauce, instead the BBQ sauce just seemed to be poured all over the top of the nachos.  This wasn't ideal, I would say the BBQ sauce overwhelmed the nachos.  It gave the nachos great flavor and it was surely something that I've never had on my nachos before, but it was just too much.  I would definitely recommend the nachos if you're a BBQ fan, but if not maybe asking for the sauce on the side could solve the problem.  I have three suggestions for the Mews-marinate the chicken in BBQ sauce, cut it in strips rather than shredding it and take the nachos out of the oven a little sooner because sometimes the nachos dry out.  All in all it was a great time at the Mews and the nachos really did hit the spot once you got below the first layer of BBQ madness.  Definitely something to try! I'm giving them a 7.9/10.

Cucina Twist (Wakefield, RI)

The greatest part about being at home and celebrating a sibling's graduation is the excuse to go out to dinner every night of the week.  The second greatest thing is having a grandfather around who likes eating just as much as I do.  "Don't be shy, Katie, you eat that last nacho." Music to my ears.  It usually sounds something like this. "Kate, save some for everybody else or aren't you getting a cheeseburger too?"  Well little Liz graduated high school on Tuesday and we went out after for drinks and appetizers at Cucina Twist after the ceremony.  Traditionally, an Italian restaurant I was pleasantly surprised to see "Loaded Nachos" listed under appetizers.  I was told that it was Liz's night and she was allowed to order whatever she wanted.  I started off with a Blue Moon and a shirley temple while we waited for Liz to decide.  She chose Brushetta, Calamari Giovanni, a few grilled pizzas, and..... then looked over at me and said, "Kate- nachos? I knew we were sisters for some reason.  The appetizers arrived and by some miracle the waitress knew just where to place them.  It was the most interesting presentation I have ever seen.  Now the menu claims to serve tri-colored chips, but all I saw was orange and I loved it.  Orange is one of my favorite colors and it just jumped ahead of yellow after doing such a great job at pleasing my taste buds.  The orange chips were layered with a cheddar-jack cheese, tomatoes, jalepenos, black beans, corn, fresh salsa and sour cream.  We ordered the chili on the side-Liz is still pretending to be a vegetarian.  The nachos were fresh, crunchy, and proportionally covered with toppings.  The serving size was great, everyone at our table of 12 was able to have a few bites and then some.  The chili was good, not excellent-could have been a bit spicier.  The only improvement I would make to the nachos is add some extra cheese to the bottom layer.  You could tell someone in the kitchen made an effort to layer the nachos well and they did, but a few chips were lacking cheese in the underbelly.  If you're ever at Cucina Twist I would definitely recommend trying these orange nachos and a side of the Calamari Giovanni-it's to die for. I'm giving these babies an 8.2/10.

Cafe Sol (St. Lawrence Gap, Barbados)

I recently visited Barbados for a second time in only two months. I just got back on Wednesday and I must admit I'm falling in love with the place. The people, the beaches, the food, the music- the whole lifestyle intrigues me. When I was in Barbados for the 1st time all I wanted to try was Cafe Sol's nachos. I read about the restaurant before my trip and had discovered that it was the only Mexican restaurant on the entire island of Barbados. I knew it was fate when I found out that it was only a two minute walk from my hotel. Unfortunately, Cafe Sol was closed down in the fall because of a fire, but it had relocated only a few doors down. The new restaurant was scheduled to open the week before I arrived in March, but just my luck, it was rescheduled to open the day after I left. I was so disappointed that I wasn't able to try Cafe Sol's nachos, that I decided a trip back was necessary as a graduation present to myself. We were back exactly two months later. I was thrilled to be back on the island and couldn't wait to have a delicious plate of nachos. We went to Cafe Sol on the first night of our trip, but the appetizers were expensive and we had decided we were going to come back a second time for them. We never made it back that week to try the nachos, but fortunately my friend Eleanor had trouble with her green card and my vacation was extended for a few days! It was a sign. We went immediately to Cafe Sol after booking a few more nights at our hotel and ordered the ultimate nachos which consisted of chicken, steak, beef, queso, guacamole, sour cream, beans, and salsa. The meat was exceptional. Every piece of steak was juicy and succulent, the chicken was delicious, and the beef was just spicy enough. The plate was huge. However, Eleanor and I were not intimidated, we polished them off in about 15 minutes-impressive/disgusting I know. The salsa was amazing! One of the best I've had-not too much salt, chunks of fresh tomato, nice amount of cilantro and lime juice. The only thing I would have changed about these nachos was the cheese. I don't prefer queso-I love melted cheddar cheese atop my chips. The queso had little flavor and it didn't add much to the dish. Overall the meats were juicy and delicious, the salsa was one of the best I've had and the view was amazing! Because I love Barbados so much and location of this restaurant, I'll cut some slack for Cafe Sol's choice of cheese. I'm giving them an 8.9.

Nationals Park (Southeast, DC)

Take me out to the ball game...take me out to the crowd...buy me some nachos and Heineken...I don't care if the Nationals win! It was a gorgeous Monday night in the city and we decided to head down to Nationals park to watch a baseball game. Going to a Nats game has been on my list since I came to college and I decided to make it happen during my last week here. I was so excited to just have a beer and a hot dog and watch the game. Nachos were ridiculously expensive, but I was starving so they were added to my meal. Now, they're baseball park nachos, so I wasn't expecting someone to be scooping out avocado in the back and whipping up some fresh guac or homemade salsa. The nachos had the basics-chips, cheese, chili, diced jalapeños, and sour cream plopped on top. The chili wasn't too thick or spicy and the jalapeños gave each bit that extra kick. The only thing I didn't love about the nachos was that the cheese wasn't melted. It was strewn on top of the chips and melted only because of the warm chili that was poured on top, so some of the cheese remained in the shredded form. But, the nachos were satisfying and they complemented my Heineken perfectly. I would give them a 5.5- did the job.