Twelve Inches of Meat

I remember when I reviewed things back in Vegas, people would sometimes email me and say things like “Rex, I’m not sure if I can trust your judgement because it seems as though you like everything you review”. Heck, people even made this comment to my face a couple of times.

Unfortunately, this is another area in which I am simply misunderstood.

The fact of the matter is that I’m not all that excited about the majority of things I try. I eat at a lot of places, see a lot of shows, and do a lot of things, but if something sucks … I simply don’t mention it. There are a lot of critics in the world, but I’m just not one of them.

If I find something I like, I blog about it. If I encounter a business or product I don’t like — more often than not I just move on until I find something that I do like. Then I blog about that.

The main exceptions to this rule is large corporations (Apple, Sprint, Wynn Resorts, etc). If I think they are already over-hyped, or I think they abuse their customers, then I won’t hesitate to call them a bunch of one-eyed meat weasels.

Why am I so soft on businesses I don’t care for?

First of all, I hate critics. They are a bunch of little peckerheads. The majority of them are talentless jerks who resort to critiquing others to compensate for their own lack of talent. Last year when the new AIC record came out, some dillweed at the LV Weekly gave it 2.5 (out of 4) stars. Who was this guy to pass judgement on Jerry Cantrell and Company? Has he made something better that he can hold up to be judged by the world? Who was he to give any record any stars?

I don’t know. Honestly, I don’t know how these people get their jobs in the first place. I think they mumble just enough buzzwords so that the equally clueless editor thinks they know what they are talking about, and a column is born.

I digress.

Another reason I don’t disrespect most businesses is … maybe on the day that I went to XYZ Eatery, they were having an off day. Maybe the owner just found out that his mother had been hospitalized, or maybe the waitress was up all night nursing a sick kid. I have no way of knowing. Do I really want to publicly shit on someone because they had an off day/performance/whatever? No. I leave that stuff for other people, and trust me, there are tons of those other people. Especially on the Internet.

The last reason I steer clear of direct criticism is because not everything is bad, just because it doesn’t suit my taste.

Let me give you an example:

I’ve eaten at Dick’s about 10 times in the past few months (mostly with friends and family), but I’ve never made a post about it. Unlike your mother, I’m just not a huge fan of Dick’s (I never tire of gratuitous penis jokes).

The burgers are a little too fatty for my taste, and for me, a burger is not a burger without lettuce, tomato, ketchup, and mustard. Also, when I order it for my fries, Dick’s charges me for ketchup. This annoys me. I understand that it keeps costs down ever so slightly, but come on, it’s ketchup. It’s a cost of being in the burger business. It’s like charging me for the container that the fries come in.

I am an island unto myself, however. Everyone else I know swears by Dick’s. They love the place. It’s like a religious experience for them. Dick’s is a beloved institution, and my pickiness is my own burden to bear. On a positive note, Dick’s represents a good value (a few bucks for a meal), so if you are less anal than I am when it comes to your meat (insert buttsex joke here), then it’s hard to go wrong with the place.

Anyway, when you read my blog and think “Jesus, Rex likes everything”, realize that it is not true. I blog about maybe, MAYBE 5% of the places I eat or patronize. If that. If I decide to plaster it under my name, chances are that it made a favorable enough impression upon me that I took the time out of my day to mention it.

With that being said, allow me to give some space to a new place that I have found. It is called “George’s Delicatessen” and it’s about two blocks north of the ill-fated M Street Grocery on First Hill.

For the price of a Subway Sandwich (about $6 + tax) you get a 12″ sandwich made to order with deli-quality meat, cheese, veggies, and bread. Seattle is not known for its bargains, so given its location, I was surprised that I got so much for so little at this joint. It’s notably good.

The owners are from Poland, and they sell tons of treats from their native land on the store shelves. Not being terribly adventurous when it comes to Polish candy, I just stuck with a sub on my first visit, and I am glad that I did.

If you live or work near First Hill, and this place is not on your radar, it should be.

Hell, even if you are here on business or travel, it’s worth the 20 minute walk up the hill from the Pike Place Market vicinity just to grab 4-5 of these to take with you. The second time I went to George’s, I bought 2 sandwiches. One for lunch and one for that night’s dinner. It’s that good.

I will be a loyal customer for as long as they are around, which I hope is a good long time.

Try it now, thank me later.

George’s Delicatessen
907 Madison St.
First Hill, Seattle, WA