The Chicken Fried Blog

At Last! 5 Guys comes to the SFV!

2011-09-25T13:09:00.001-07:00

It had to happen! 5 Guys has reached the Sam Fernando Valley. While arguing on the merits of 5 Guys versus In And Out with World Famous Webmaster Eddiebomber of Eddiecam.com. We are on distinct opposite sides. I love the looser grind of the 5 Guys Burger and the unadorned taste of the beef. Eddiebomber is strictly on the side of In And Out in terms of taste. Either way both franchises are in the same Costco shopping center in Northridge. Check them both out and do your own side by side comparo and let us know what you think.

In-N-Out of sub shops to invade Orange County

2011-06-13T10:14:00.000-07:00

How exciting! I didn't even know there was an "In-N-Out of sub shops," but I am glad to hear that there is and I am excited about finding out about it. Article doesn't mention where exactly it will be opening nor does it cite a source link.

Source: Fast Food Maven

More info on Capriotti's can be found here.

Trader Joe's Homemade Pizza

2011-01-22T19:11:00.000-08:00

Tonight, we decided to make some homemade pizza for dinner with ingredients that I picked up at Trader Joe's. Not knowing how it would turn out, I was hoping that it would be edible. Fortunately, it worked out quite nicely.

As usual, my sous chef was ready to guide me with orders. While eating a cookie, he told me how much sauce and cheese to add to the dough. After we put the pizza in the oven, he decided to run around, drink some water, and exclaim "MMMM, Water!" over and over.

After about 20-minutes, I pulled the pizza from the oven and cut it up for the boss. Thankfully, it was quite tasty. The garlic and herb crust added a nice zest to the pizza. The sauce was rather bland and I learned that we should use shredded cheese if we try it again. Overall, I'd say it wasn't up to Village Pizzeria quality, but I would put it above other delivery pizzas. John ate about 3/4 of his pizza, so that made me happy. Nicholas tried a little piece, but he didn't really give any indication if he liked it or not. He just eats anything you give him.

For the record, I used provolone and mozzarella on the pizza.

The Pershing Square Special

2011-01-15T07:38:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of having lunch at the Yorkshire Grill in downtown Los Angeles with some of my associaties. The Yorkshire Grill is a traditional deli on 6th street with very reasonable prices. I was going to order the burger and fries (under $6), but I did my normal look through the menu. Some may know that I am quite particular when it comes to eating so I don't normally break form and order something different. That day, I did. I ordered the Pershing Square Special and boy was I ever pleased. Chicken Fried asked me to get photos, so I had to order it again.

As you can see from the menu, it's a peanut butter, bacon, and lettuce sandwich on any type of bread. I ordered it without the lettuce as I am not a fan of anything green. Anywho, as you can see from the photo, it came with lettuce. That was easy enough to correct by removing it. I was a little dismayed at the amount of bacon on my sandwich yesterday. When I first tried the sandwich two weeks ago, there was a mountain of bacon. Yesterday, there were a hill of bacon, but a mountain of lettuce. My guess is that the lettuce took the place of my extra bacon. Oh well, life goes on.

How does it taste? Pretty darned good. The bacon was a perfect crispness. There's nothing like really crisp bacon. It's quite stunning really. Anywho, the first flavor you get from the sandwich is the sweetness of the peanut butter. Two seconds later, you get the salty goodness of the bacon. It was sheer bliss. If you are at the Yorkshire Grill and like salty/sweet, I'd recommend this sandwich.

On a side note, their french fries are really good and crisp. They remind me of the french fries you'd get at any Greek diner. The fries at those diners are ALWAYS good and crisp much like the Yorkshire Grill.

And, prices are VERY REASONABLE!! That's the best part. You get a mountain of food, but you only pay a small bit.

It's FAB and it's HOT DOGS!

2010-12-27T10:56:00.000-08:00

Where in the SFV can you get great Hot Dogs? Do you trudge through all the the Christmas snow to Hollywood to get your Pink's fix? Well this is what I have been doing for years until a friend of mine suggested I try out Fab Hot Dogs (www.fabhotdogs.com)

I've known about the place for years, but never went despite people telling me about it. I guess it was comfortability or lack of motivation to try something new. However I did try it out last month and now I make Fab Hot Dog's a weekly pilgrimage. Why did I ever wait?!!

Some of my favorite dogs include, The Ripper, which is an Oh-So-Good FRIED Hot Dog just barely exploding out of it's natural casing. I'm also partial to the LA Street Dog, which is a Bacon wrapped all-beef dog topped with grilled peppers & onions, mayo, mustard, ketchup, jalapeños & fresh tomato. The benefit from getting this at Fab is that you never have to worry about the sketchy hygiene of getting it off the makeshift carts in LA. All the benefit, none of the worries. The Texas Burrito Dog is another favorite of mine, just don't expect to have seconds with this large dog.

There are literally dozens of different dogs you can try out over at Fab's and they will customize the dog for you. Service is extra fast, and your in and out within 5-7 minutes tops. The restaurant is clean and has seating. Expect there to be a bit of a line though even late at night.

Fab Hot Dogs has been featured in various media including The Food Network on their Diner's Drive-Ins and Dives show. Joe Fabrocini is not just the man behind the TV Appearances, he is also the owner and the man behind the counter. A couple of weeks ago, Baby Chicken Fried and I went to get our dogs, Joe was really friendly and chatted with Baby Chicken Fried as she picked up our order.

You can get your Hot Dog fix locally at Fab Hot Dogs.
19417 Victory Blvd. Reseda, CA 91335 818-344-4336

Gourmet Food Truck Obsession

2010-12-22T14:45:00.000-08:00

Long before it became common with the Food Network crowd, I have been obsessed with the LA Gourmet Food Truck scene. My first experience was a few years ago with the Kogi BBQ Truck which served the then unheard of Korean BBQ Tacos. Oh yes, it is one of those serendipitous combinations that seem logical but why didn't anyone ever invent it until now.

Kogi BBQ Truck created by Chef Roy at(Kogibbq.com) have 5 Trucks which make daily lunch and dinner runs all throughout Los Angeles and Orange County. I am lucky to be able to get my Kogi Korean BBQ Tacos and Burritos at the very least of once a week as they are in the SFV for lunch and dinner 1-2 times a week. Their website lists the schedule of where and when their trucks will be. If you get there on time, you will most likely experience an hour wait, so get their early. My favorite is of course the Tacos, which you can get in Short Rib, Chicken, Spicy Pork, or Tofu. These are marinated in a special Korean BBQ Marinade very similar to a Bul-Gogi spice. The meat is carmelized and when combined with the marinade is extremely addicting. Check out their website or subscribe to their tweets to find out when the Kogi Truck is nearby.

Another truck I like going to is the Nom Nom Truck (www.nomnomtruck.com). Owned and created by Misa and Jen. They have only 1 truck at this time, and a second one is on it's way in the new year. These guys were featured on the Food Networks, Great Food Truck Race and were the runners up for the competition. IMHO, I think they should have been the winners as they dominated the entire competition. This truck serves up Vietnamese Sandwiches called Banh Mi with a twist. They use their own special blend of marinades and spices and have created something unique. The french bread is freshly baked, and the ingredients are fresh. It has a very similar but different taste to regular Banh Mi, and it is an outstanding sandwich. Mrs. Chicken Fried and I ditched a restaurant we were sitting in because the Nom Nom Truck happened to be in the SFV that day and we had to get it. The sandwiches range in toppings from Grilled Pork, Lemongrass Chicken, Tofu and a Deli Special. Mmm... what I wouldn't do to have a party catered by these guys. Alas they are also in the SFV only once a week, so I need to plan my week by catching up with their tweets.

These happen to be my favorites, and I'll be posting more of the other gourmet food trucks that I like to frequent.

Carl's Jr. Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders

2010-12-14T21:45:00.000-08:00

I am sure one of you has tried these. Please post a review!

If you haven't tried it yet...

Here's a coupon!
Free Small Beverage with purchase

KFC Grilled Chicken? Anyone?

2010-02-27T14:28:00.000-08:00

WHAT? Nobody has tried the grilled chicken from KFC yet?

Trader Joe's Chicken Stix: Highly Recommended

2010-01-06T02:16:00.000-08:00

I tried these for the first time a few weeks ago and they are fantastic! I need to try dipping sauces with them though so let me know what your suggestions are if you have tried them. I am going to try the Red Thai Curry sauce and the Goyza sauce that I read about on traderjoesfan.com.

I also tried the Lemongrass and they are excellent as well. I don't know where the chicken comes from and how it was grown/fed, but it tastes good.

I cook them in the InfraWave oven, which, if I haven't posted about it already, is great for heating up frozen/leftovers. It makes things crispy like they should be, works quickly and saves energy compared to conventional and microwave ovens. QuickFoods,+,+,Start gets you pretty well cooked Chicken Stix in just 9 minutes. Overall, less time than if you had to wait for your conventional oven to preheat. Microwave of course will do a quicker job but who wants soggy Chicken Stix?

Highly recommended.

30 minute turkey cheese burger

2009-02-20T00:09:00.000-08:00

1. set heat to medium

2. put pan on stove

3. let pan heat for 5 minutes

4. fry frozen patty for 10 minutes or until it looks like this

5. turn patty over. it should look like this 6. put cheese on top

7. fry for 2 minutes

8. pour a little water in pan and cover pan

9. put toast down
10. fry patty for 3 more minutes

11. as soon as toast comes out, put burger on toast

12. optional (for spicy lovers) - throw some tabasco on before putting on the top piece of bread

13. enjoy

yeah, i used 2 patties but it was honestly too much. i highly recommend a single.

Tommy's offering Chili on the Side!

2008-10-20T10:58:00.000-07:00

Tommy's Chili is now a menu item! Whoooo!!! Now I can make my own chili burgers and chili dogs at home. Tommy's this Friday will be selling their Chili to Go. The sizes and prices are: 8 oz. for $1.75; 12 oz. for $2.75; and 32 oz. for $7.

Now the goodness of Tommy's can be enjoyed at home, and topped on all manners of food, such as eggs, ice cream, waffles, you name it!

Marconda's Meats

2008-10-19T20:32:00.000-07:00

If you are looking for a great selection of meats, go to Marconda's Meats at the Farmer's Market at 3rd and Fairfax.

Friday, we had their skirt steak that was just divine. 12-minutes in the broiler and I was in carnivore heaven

Saturday, we had a tri-tip barbeque and it was AWESOME!! It was the perfect meal for a birthday.

If you get meats there, be sure to ask for them to apply their rub on it. I don't know what spices go into it, but dang me, it's good. Sometimes they go a little heavy on the rub, but it gives it oodles and oodles of flavor.

Marconda's is located at Stall # 514 at the Farmer's Market. Go and buy some really good meat. If you are a carnivore or meatitarian, you won't regret it.

Subway - Chicken Pizzaiola

2008-10-13T10:37:00.000-07:00

I wasn't expecting much from this sandwich. It's featured for a limited time on the $5 Foot Long menu at Subway. I was pleasantly surprised.

Basically, it's a sandwich that has pepperoni, chunks of chicken, cheese, and marinara sauce. I thought the chicken and pepperoni might be a little funky, but it wasn't. The marinara sauce kind of blended the flavors together in a savory way.

Overall, it'll never replace my meatball marinara order, but I do wish that they'd bring back the pizza sub. I'd definitely buy that one over the chicken pizzaiola. On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd give this one a 6. It wasn't great, but it wasn't bad. In a pinch, I'd order it again.

I WANTZ A CHEEBUHGUH!!!!

2008-09-24T00:50:00.000-07:00

Just YUM!

Ordering off the menu

2008-09-01T10:44:00.000-07:00

1000 Awesome Things blogs about ordering "off the menu" at fast food restaurants. Thought you might want to know about it.

A few notes from Hawai'i and L.A.

2008-07-23T09:58:00.000-07:00

I admit I am disappointed in myself for not being more diligent in my duties of photographing and otherwise documenting my face-stuffing experiences. I did, however, manage to snap a few photographs while at some of the fine establishments we have been visiting in the last few months and I will share what little I have.

I spent a week with the family in Maui and then another 5 days in Honolulu and all I can say is, besides the relaxing atmosphere and the gorgeous scenery, the food is one of those things that draws us to Hawai'i. Produce is almost always the freshest we have experienced and seafood/meats are equally fresh. We don't always pick out the best gourmet restaurants, either. As long as you're not stepping into a total dive, you're usually in for a good meal.

This first picture is the view from our table at Leilani's On the Beach. We ate at the less-stuffy Beachside Grill which offers a less gourmet menu but everything was excellent. A friendly bartender helps you pass the time while you wait for your table.

This picture is of some pork ribs I ordered at Haleiwa Joe's, a cute little bar & grill in Haleiwa. We actually at at their other location in Kaneohe, which is a more scenic location and the buffet had a great selection of fresh fruit (strawberries, pineapple) as well as waffles and other great food I don't remember. You'd think I'd get a picture of the food, but nope, not me. All you get is what I took below. Well, so much for our tour in Hawai'i, as the next picture I have is just a stop at Roy's in Woodland Hills, CA, where we took my parents for a birthday dinner. I was pleased to see they had their short ribs on the menu again and of course I ordered them but once again, did not take any pictures of the food. WHAT WAS I THINKING???

So, now what? Well, we're off on a trip to Croatia for 3 weeks, where I am now more aware of what a craptastic job I did in documenting our dining experiences. I expect this will assist me in remembering to snap a few more pictures of food and ignoring the snyde comments from Sanda about stupid pictures of food.

I Heart Balls

2008-04-17T11:43:00.000-07:00

I must say, those Swedes make some damn fine meatballs. Until very recently, my only experiences enjoying their country’s home-cooked meal staple saw me sitting under big yellow letters that spelled out “Ikea.” But a couple weeks ago, I was called to Stockholm on a work trip, and I was able to partake in a genuine plate of the gravy-drenched morsels of goodness. Each were about a third of the size of traditional American or Italian spheres but dare I say ten times more delicious. The meatballs were accompanied by mashed potatoes and, of course, a side of tart-sweet lingonberries as well as a delicate cucumber salad. My lunching partners also ordered a side of other traditional Swedish fare, which included a kind of moose or elk pate, sweet pickled fish and a quiche-like cheese pie, all of which were delicious. The restaurant was located in the Old Town section of Stockholm, but sadly, I didn’t take down its name. But I did learn the Swedish word for ground beef—Köttfärs. A pound of meatballs to anyone who can tell me how that’s pronounced.

Pink Taco- Century City, CALIFORNIA

2008-04-17T10:46:00.000-07:00

There have been a lot of nuevo-gourmet contemporary Mexican restuarants opening recently. We did a review a few months ago about Amaranta in Woodland Hills. Now lets turn our sights toward Century City and take a look at Pink Taco.

No this won't be a discussion on the historical notoriety on the name of the restaurant. You're free to peruse the web for that.

Upon entering Pink Taco, you notice that the decor is a blend of both traditional religious iconography with various crucifixes displayed on a column in the dining area along with contemporary Mexican street art in the way of artistically painted car hoods adorning the walls. It was a neat ecclectic mix of styles inside this restaurant, less garage-sale and more artsy in my opinion. This restaurant really looks fun.

I didn't know what to expect on whether this would be a family friendly place when we saw the greeter was similarly dressed to a Hooters waitress (sans the short-shorts). But it was indeed family friendly at least in the afternoon.

We were promptly seated and served freshly fried nacho chips and salsa. These were light and crispy. I really need to limit myself when served these chips, as I will often overeat prior to my main entree, but these chips were good!

For myself I ordered the Burrito Mojado. This had carne asada, pinto beans, cheese, peppers and pico de gallo. It was artistically topped with a Sour Cream, Pasilla Chile Sauce, more cheese and thinly sliced avocados. The presentation was excellent and it looked like they took time to arrange the food in the most appetizing way possible.

Was this authentic food? I'm not sure, but it was delicious. The sauce on top was a bit sweet for my taste, but that was countered with the interior which was meaty and spicy. Next time I do want to try their Crispy Brisket Tacos which just reading about makes my mouth water.

Pink Taco really was an enjoyable and fun place to eat. I suspect that dining there at night with cocktails might be a bit racier. But at least with this restaurant it just isn't all about style, their food is actually quite good.

There are 3 locations for Pink Taco (Las Vegas, NV; Century City, CA; and Scottsdale, AZ)
Check them out at www.pinktaco.com

Trader Joe's Spinach & Feta Cheese Stuffed Salmon- NATIONWIDE

2008-04-17T10:35:00.000-07:00

A couple of nights ago, Mrs. Chicken Fried prepared some Spinach and Feta Cheese Stuffed Salmon Filets which we purchased at Trader Joes.

We love prepared meals which include all the ingredients but still allow you to cook them, but have had mixed results from the prepared dishes we get at warehouse stores.

However this was not the case with our latest meal from Trader Joes. We grilled the salmon and within minutes we had a wonderful restaurant quality meal. While this prepared meal had all the necessary ingredients, you would be best advised to flavor to your liking, and the only improvement I would add would be a dash of sea salt. Other than that though, The salmon was tender and flavorful. The Feta and Spinach really added to the personality of the dish, with the it combination of the smooth rich tasting Feta and the earthy nuttiness of the spinach. It was a perfect topping for the salmon.

We combined this dish with Rice Pilaf courtesy of Rice-A-Roni, and some non-fermented red wine courtesy of Welch's and had a wonderfully delicious and fulfilling meal.

This meal included enough to feed two and a half people. At least Mrs. Chicken Fried couldn't finish hers, so I ate it and was thoroughly stuffed.

We have had this dish at least 3 times since and it is always fresh, tender, and delicious. You really can't go wrong with the Trader Joe's Salmon stuffed with Feta & Spinach meal.

SPECIAL THANKS

2008-04-17T09:34:00.000-07:00

Here's a special thanks to writer, Eddiebomber for keeping us afloat while our editor has been swamped with a lot of projects recently.

Thank you Eddiebomber!

Dallas Next Week

2008-04-04T14:25:00.001-07:00

I'll have some reports from the Lone Star State yet again. We'll see what type of good eats we can get in Texas

The Grove - Houston (Downtown)

2008-03-23T09:37:00.000-07:00

A little gem of a restaurant is the Grove. It has a good variety off comfort foods with a twist to it. I ordered the skirt steak that cme with a side of chilli fries.

The steak was a little to rare for my liking, but the seasoning was not to overwhelming. Sometimes (sorry Daily Grill), skirt steak is marinaded in sauces that detract from the flavor of the meat. In this case, it was ok. Another minute or two on the grill wouldn't have killed the steak. The chilli fries were GREAT. The chilli wasn't as good as Pink's or Tommie's, but it had chunks of braised beef that really kicked up the side a notch. I must say that I wasn't exactly pleased that the fries were made of sweet potatoes, but I got over it.

All in all, my meal would be an 8 out of 10. Our table was a little too small for five people, but the food was pretty good and they had gummy after dinner mints.

A Gripe

2008-03-21T12:46:00.000-07:00

There are several contributors listed on this site, but it seems that only two contribute content. As one of the two, I say that we should remove the others from the site.

The Grotto - Houston (The Woodlands)

2008-03-16T17:58:00.000-07:00

Back to Houston...we had a great dinner at the Grotto in the Woodlands. The Grotto is one of the Landry's properties. It's a somewhat casual dinning experience, but the bathroom has a touch that our blog founder, Chicken Fried, would consider quite fancy. The paper towels have that consistency of cloth that one would find at a fine dining restaurant. I remember a time we ate at The Delmonico Steak House at the Venetian and Chicken Fried made a point to make sure that we all checked out the paper hand towels.

Enough of that woolgathering and back to The Grotto. The company had an after work dinner with three options for the dinner. I went with the Rigatoni della Sansoni. It was your basic pasta shells in a red sauce, but they added some great tasting meatballs. The sauce had a slight wine-like flavor to it. I've recently discovered that I like wine sauces. I hadn't thought that a red pasta sauce would be good with wine, but this was quite tasty. The meatballs were more like slices of spicy beef that had been flavored with Italian herbs. Actually, the meatballs would make a great appetizer by themselves.

The restaurant itself is in a very nice shopping and entertainment complex called Market Street - The Woodlands. My Degrassi Jr./Sr. High & Saved by the Bell loving co-worker said it was quite aesthetically pleasing. I suppose we can thank Rick Caruso for the craze with making the open air malls. They do give that sense of a small town/main street feel to a shopping complex. The Mrs. wants to start a Rick Caruso Fan Club because she loves the Grove.

www.grottohouston.com

www.marketstreet-thewoodlands.com

The Grotto is located at:

9595 Six Pines
The Woodlands, TX 77380

281-419-4252

Cafe du Village - Larchmont Village - Los Angeles

2008-03-15T14:54:00.000-07:00

The Mrs. and I were having breakfast at Cafe du Village on Larchmont today. We both had the pancakes and were quite pleased. It's a nice place to have a quick and simple breakfast and it's not going to break your bank.

So, we're enjoying our breakfast and who walks through the door? Huell Howser!!! He's as genial in person as he is on tv. He had a conversation with a woman about the political situation in the US. He gave quite the passionate speech about the shameful media and what they are doing to one of the candidates. His candidate isn't my candidate, but that's ok. We live in America.

All you people who think he's a complete dolt who can be impressed by drying paint be rest assured that he's quite intelligent and cares for his country.

Timpano Chop House - Houston

2008-03-15T14:33:00.000-07:00

So, the multinational for which i work had me fly into Houston two weeks in a row. I stayed at the Magnolia Hotel and found this great restaurant, Timpano Chop House just two blocks away.

Timpano Chop House used to be known as Bossa the last time I ate there. It was a fusion of Brazilian and American cuisine. It was good, but it wasn't great. Timpano Chop House has all the standard fare you'd find at a chop house/martini bar, but there were a couple of things that made it stand out. The entrees were to die for. The deserts were innovative and delicious. The bar had a nice little jazz club feel to it with live music, but they still served a full menu. What's not to love about listening to good music and eating a good steak.

Our first visit, we arrived at about 7:30 without a reservation. They said it would be about 20-minutes for a table, so we went to the bar. They had a fine selection of wine and spirits. The bar tender was quite well versed in the wines and helped my co-worker select a nice wine. That type of service would be completely be lost on me since I wouldn't know a good wine if it hit me over the head.

After a brief wait, they seated us and showed us the menu. As I stated, the menu was what you'd expect from a chop house. They had prime steaks, chicken, seafood, and some pastas. I went for the petite filet cooked to a nice medium temperature. It took about 25-minutes for our entrees to come out. When they did, I was more than pleased with my filet. It was perfectly cooked. Once again, I must stress that there needs to be some pink left in a steak. I have learned the err of my ways when I used to eat my steaks well done. Each bite of my filet was a succulent flavor of properly cooked beef. My only regret was that I went with the petite filet.

Upon completion of our main course, the waiter brought out the desert tray. There were two options: 1. Small creamy deserts in a good sized shot glass; or 2. Cheesecake lollipops. We went for the cheese cake lollipop tree. The tree came with 10 lollipops or you can order them a l carte. I must say that the lolliops are the way to go if you just want a bite of a cheesecake. Sometimes, eating an entire slice is just too much, but this gave a nice sampling of 5 different cheese cakes. I'd rank them in this order: 1. Peanut butter crunch; 2. Toffee crunch; 3 Key lime; 4. Raspberry; and 5. Strawberry shortcake.

The following week, my co-worker and I were called back to the home office and we decided to go back to Timpano since it's down the street from the hotel. Since our flight was delayed, we didn't get into Houston until about 8 PM, but we didn't get to the restaurant until 9 PM. We were worried that they wouldn't serve us, but we found out that they will serve you even if you show up at 10:59 PM (they close at 11 PM). For that reason, Dikembe Mutumbo seems to eat there quite a bit after Rockets games.

This week, I decided to go with the New York strip steak since I'd had one the week before at another restaurant (look for a future review) and was quite displeased. I was quite elated when I bit into my steak and it was delicious. There was some sort of seasoning added to it that gave it that extra kick we all love in steaks. Once again, it was cooked to my liking and I just tore through that steak like I hadn't eaten in 3-weeks. For desert, we decided to try the smaller deserts in the shot glasses. We chose the chocolate tartuffo. It was a layered parfait type desert with chocolate and cream. YUMMY!!

So, if you are in downtown Houston, check out Timpano Chop House. They have great food, great service, and a great wine and spirits section. You won't be disappointed. Do make a reservation if you plan on going. It'll save you some time, but the bar/lounge is a good way to wait as well.

Timpano Chop House is located at:

610 Main Street

Houston, TX 77002

713-223-2622

www.timpanochophouse.net

Back to Houston This Week

2008-03-02T15:46:00.000-08:00

I'm holding off posting reviews of last week's restaurants until I get back this week. There were three nice meals. Two were great and the other left a little to be desired.

Kyushu Ramen- VAN NUYS, CALIFORNIA

2008-02-26T09:54:00.000-08:00

(See, it's in Kanji, not English)

Los Angelenos know that if they want to find the best places for Ramen (Japanese Noodles) that they can go to either Little Tokyo, West LA, or Gardena/Torrance. But what is the average Valley-ite to do when they crave these delicious noodles soaked in warm sumptuous broth. Look no further than Kyushu Ramen in Van Nuys. This is a restaurant located in a small mini-mall surrounded by a Japanese Video Shop, a Donut Shop, a Starbucks (of course), and an Italian Restaurant. It might be hard to locate as the main store signage is in Japanese. The Mini-mall sign though has it all in the good old-fashioned English alphabet.

Kyushu Ramen previously had a very unremarkable interior, which consisted of fold out tables and chairs in a stark all white room, with little if any decor. When it was like this you would be hard pressed not to believe that it was closing down or the owners didn't much care. It didn't even have a restaurant feel, but more of a cheap diner feel.

But recently with an interior remodel, it is all red wood paneling, and organic looking wood table tops and wood chairs. There is now a shared communal table/bar in the center. It truly does look like a Japanese restaurant now. It's actually a pretty cool place inside now.

I ordered the Shōyu ramen soup which has as soy based sauce added to the clear stock. I had the chicken topping with this ramen. The soup was warm and tasty, and the chicken pieces were nice, juicy and flavorful. Unfortunately there was not that many noodles in my ramen. Usually when I go to a ramen house it is loaded with noodles, but this dish had only a fair amount.

Shoyu Ramen

We had some Karaage on the side, which is fried chicken that is marinated in with soy sauce, garlic, ginger and then deep fried. The Karaage in this place is always good, and you get a decent amount and the chicken is always juicy and tender. This is probably my favorite place for Karaage. This crust was perfectly crisp with a nice crunch. If I have the chance next time, I'll order one for the restaurant and one to take home to snack on later.

We also had the fried rice, which is always a nice cheap side dish. There wasn't anything particularly special about this fried rice, but it is always so damn good, I end up bringing some home just to eat! I don't know what addictive drug they put in it, but I always end up eating inhuman amounts of this stuff!

(Mmmm... addictive fried rice.)

The service was kind of so-so, and toward the end of the meal we felt like we were being rushed. It could be that there was only a single server and the restaurant was already approaching packed levels that afternoon.

If you don't want to travel to downtown or the Southbay, and you want some decent Ramen Noodles in the SFV, try out Kyushu Ramen.

Kyushu Ramen
15355 Sherman Way
Van Nuys, CA 91408
(818)786-6005

Kylling at The Little Mermaid- SOLVANG, CALIFORNIA

2008-02-26T09:22:00.002-08:00

Solvang

This past weekend, the Chicken Fried Family decided to drive up north for a mini-vacation. We stayed in Santa Barbara and on the final day of our trip we visited Solvang. Solvang is a small Danish community in Santa Barbara County. Within the community are a number of Danish shops, restaurants as well as many wine shops that provide wine tastings. It's also become quite the wine destination for wine lovers after being featured in the movie "Sideways"

After a good few hours of exploring Solvang and buying tchotchkes, we developed quite an appetite. We walked about a quarter of a mile from the town center to a small diner called, The Little Mermaid. Named after the Hans Christian Andersen story and not the Disney movie. I was really hankering for some of the Æbleskivers or aebleskiver which are spherical pancakes fried in a special pan and served with powdered sugar and jam. Well we arrived at The Little Mermaid at around 2:00pm, and they weren't serving it at that time.. :(

Kylling

I ended up ordering Kylling which is the Danish version of Fried Chicken. I didn't expect much from this dish, but was pleasantly surprised. What was on my plate were 4 pieces of fried chicken battered and fried. This was pretty good fried chicken! The crust was crispy and golden, and the chicken was served piping hot. Upon my first bite, I noticed how extremely juicy the chicken was, as well as noticing a sweetness to the brining that was used to prepare the chicken. I devoured it completely and was completely satisfied.

Next time you are in Solvang and want some quick and cheap eats, check out The Little Mermaid. I'm going there early next time so I won't miss out on the aebleskivers,..

The Little Mermaid
1546 Mission Dr
Solvang, CA 93463
Phone: (805) 688-6141

UPDATE- I hear that you can get some aebleskiver at the Northridge Farmer's Market from Arne's of Solvang. I'll be on the lookout this Spring for them..

Crunchy Cheezy Crust Pizza

2008-02-23T07:31:00.001-08:00

It is not all that and a bag of chips. It's actually just the hand-tossed crust with some cheese on the crust. Plus, it had this weird sweet taste to the crust that made it even weirder.

It didn't stand up to the overnight test. I left the box sitting out and then tried it the next morning. A good pizza will be edible. In this case it was not.

Stay away!! Pizza Hut has such a difficult time with new product offerings. I don't think there's much left to offer in the realm of pizza. They try with new crusts and toppings, but rarely, if ever, do they succeed. Sorry, but I'm sticking to thin crust or stuffed crust from here on out. I will not try their new offers. I've been disappointed by the last two offerings, Cheezy Crust and Double Stuff Toppings.

Rodney's Steakhouse- SANTA BARBARA, CA

2008-02-22T09:43:00.000-08:00

Rodney's Steakhouse is located in the Fess Parker Doubletree in Santa Barbara. It's claim to fame according to their website is that they are Santa Barbara's first honest to goodness steakhouse. While I can't verify their claim, we did have the opportunity to eat here recently.

One of the things that really impressed me about Rodney's is their service. We put in a reservation about 2 hours prior, which they gladly accepted. Upon arriving at the restaurant we found that our table was already set up for us along with a high chair for Baby Chicken Fried. They made us feel like they were expecting us and they were very friendly.

The servers were always smiling and always made us feel at home. So impressed was I by the service that I feel bad about what I am going to say about the rest of our dining experience.

The decor of Rodney's is 60ish, Art Deco with spiky star sculptures coming down from the ceiling. It was also well lit and didn't have the subdued lighting I usually encounter in steakhouses. The place was very bright and airy.

I ordered the Bone-In Ribeye steak, Medium, which is my usual order. Hot on the heals of my review at Mastro's I wanted to compare the two. I wish I could have been more satisfied with this steak however, it had a burnt crust and the level of doneness was not consistent throughout the steak. In some areas is was extremely juicy and flavorful, those were the areas that were either medium to medium rare, in other areas the steak was tough and had very little flavor. Those were the areas that were either well-done or burnt. Also the cut and quality of the beef was not up to par, the marbling was uneven with huge areas with lots of fat, and other areas devoid of any. This made for a very inconsistent steak experience. Also the crust was not seasoned very well and was quite bland. I had to drench on the steakhouse butter in order to elicit any flavor from it at all.

For dessert we had the Apple A La Mode which had soft nicely cooked apples topped by Phyllo Dough and Vanilla Ice Cream. This was probably the best course of the night.

Again with the excellent service, I was a little bit put off by the quality of the steak. It may have been an off night that night, and just on the merit of their service I would give them another try in the future.

Rodney's is located in the Fess Parker Doubletree at
633 E Cabrillo Blvd
Santa Barbara, CA 93103
805/884-8554
www.rodneyssteakhouse.com

Texas de Brazil - Memphis, TN

2008-02-20T11:03:00.001-08:00

On our first night in Memphis, my co-workers and I decided to go to Texas de Brazil for dinner. The minute I drove by it, I knew that we had to eat there. I love a good Brazilian steakhouse. I'd use the proper term, but I'm not sure how to spell it and I'm too lazy to go back to the web site.

Anyway, we walked in and they seated us immediately. Within a couple of minutes, our waitress, the lovely Fabiola, had taken our order. One of the guys in our group, let's just call him Kuffs, decided to give her a bit of a hard time. I'm glad she didn't spit in our food. Well, she really couldn't if she wanted to since the meat all comes out in skewers; however, she could have spat in our drinks if we'd ordered some.

As always, I only ate the meat. I was a fan of everything (the filet, the brisket, the chicken, the pork, and the lamb chops) except for the leg of lamb. When I started to eat it, I think the flavor just made my stomach turn. Perhaps it was undercooked. I cannot say, but everything else was exactly what you would expect from a restaurant as such.

The deserts were your standard fare. I chose for the triple chocolate pie. It was super rich, but oh so good. If we'd have wanted cigars, we could have purchased them. Myself, I vomit if I smoke a cigar, but my buddies decided to enjoy a good cigar...outside. Thankfully, it was no smoking in the restaurant. I love non-smoking restaurants. If there's one reason to like California, it's the non-smoking rules.

Anyway, the service was excellent. Fabiola was a very good sport with all the things that Kuffs kept on asking. I actually think she was a little scared. First, she said she came to America to be with her boyfriend. By the end of the meal, she said she had been married for four years. Still, she was a delight and her Brazilian accent was MEGA!!

Sadly, we gorged ourselves too much and none of us could sleep that evening. I guess there is such a thing as too much of a good thing.

www.texasdebrazil.com

The Rendezvous - Memphis, TN

2008-02-19T17:33:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago, I had to go to Memphis on business. It involved the Merry Maids Franchisee National Convention and AutoZone. Whilst in town, I had the distinct pleasure to have dinner at the Rendezvous. This restaurant is well known for its ribs. They'll even ship them via FedEx to you. All I know is that I'm not a fan of ribs in general, but I think I could eat ribs from the Rendezvous every freaking meal.

The location of the restaurant is just across the street from the Peabody Hotel. Actually, it's in an alley across the street. As you go down the alley, you start to smell the wonderful scent of meat being cooked. It's that fresh scent of flesh charring on a grill. I wish I could be more descriptive, but it was the best smelling alley I'd ever walked through.

As I descended down the stairs, I started to get a look at the surroundings. The decor was definitely old style. I doubt there had been a renovation to the restaurant since sometime in the 70s because it still had that 70s look to it. At the podium, the host asked us to follow Old Red (he's the second one from the right in the photo).

Old Red's name is really Albert and he was once a municipal tennis champion in Memphis. By looking at him, that was quite some time ago. He's been at the restaurant since the year I was born, 1973.

Upon being seated, Old Red asked for our beverage orders. Two of my co-workers asked if they had some imported beers. I think I really knew what I was in store for when Old Red answered them with this: "We don't have that shit. We only have real beer." So, he brought our beverages and asked if we were ready to order. We replied in the affirmative to which he replied, "Four full racks of ribs." and walked off. The man has worked there long enough to be able to read his customer.

It took about ten minutes for the ribs to come out, but I was not prepared for the flavor of them. Fortunately, they use a dry rub process on their ribs. I hate sauces and the dry rub was delicious. It wasn't overly spicy, but it wasn't bland. Some thought they had corriander in the spices. I really could care less. It was GOOD. I hate ribs, but I ate every last one on the rack. They were tender and flavorful. I don't think you could ask more from a meal.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd have to give the Rendezvous in Memphis a 10+. The restaurant has been open for 60 years and its still going strong. It hasn't changed one bit. Locals and tourists alike will go there for ribs. If ever you get the chance, check it out. You won't be disappointed. The waiters have been there for decades and they know what you want before you even know it.

http://www.hogsfly.com/

Rendezvous Charles Vergos‎
52 S 2nd St, Memphis, TN
(901) 523-2746‎

Valentine's Day Celebrity Sightings-MASTRO'S BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA

2008-02-15T10:14:00.000-08:00

This review is part restaurant review and part celebrity sighting report. Mrs. Chicken Fried surprised me on Valentine's Day by taking to me a very nice Steakhouse in Beverly Hills called Mastro's Steakhouse.

Upon entering Mastro's I kind of felt out of place, this was a real ritzy place. I wondered if I may have been underdressed, though I did wear a shirt and tie, I felt that the suit on the greeters at the door was probably priced tenfold what I could ever afford. Despite this we were warmly greeted by both the doorman and then the maitre'd. We had a reservation fortunately and we were actually promptly seated. I was impressed. Usually despite having a reservation we usually wait at least 10 minutes. We were escorted to the dining area on the lower floor. Boy was it crowded! That was to be expected though on Valentine's Day.

It should be noted that there is an upper floor dining area which has live entertainment, which I feel was probably reserved for ritzier clientèle, as we saw all the young and beautiful model-like people being escorted upstairs. In our dining area we had older couples, small families, as well as young couples not so nicely dressed. Oh well. We were here for the food not the people-watching.

We ordered for a starter the toasted cheese ravioli thinking that this would be a nice small beginning entree. Maybe 5-10 minutes after ordering our starter it was on our table. Mrs. Chicken Fried exclaimed, "That was fast" and indeed it was. There were 10-12 large pieces of ravioli served to us. This was not a small dish at all. We were not able to finish the whole starter lest we run out of room for the steaks. The starter was a bit bland to me, but it wasn't terrible.
I ordered the 22 oz Bone-In Ribeye, and Mrs. Chicken Fried ordered the Boneless Filet. As a side we also ordered the Gorgonzola Mac and Cheese.

CELEBRITY SIGHTING!

While waiting for our main entree, I sensed a huge crowd of people rushing behind me. They had microphones and video cameras. Before I could turn around, Mrs. C-F exclaimed, "H.. H.. Heff!" Out of the corner of my eye passing behind us was Hugh Hefner along with his companions, Holly, Bridget, and Kendra from their show, "The Girl's Next Door". The Mastro staff had set aside a private dining area for them about 20 feet from where we were sitting to my left. They were very close to us, though the camera crew blocked our view for most of the night. Holly left the dining area to use the restroom. Mrs. C-F was very impressed by Holly and said she looked even more beautiful in person than she did on television. Mrs. C-F wanted to follow Holly to the bathroom, but gently discouraged her from doing so..

NOW BACK TO OUR FOOD REVIEW

Our steaks arrived along with the Gorgonzola Mac & Cheese. I ordered my steak medium this time. I usually order medium rare because many restaurants don't seem to know the meaning of medium and usually bring me something well-done. That was not the case with this restaurant. The steak was cooked perfectly medium. The crust was perfect! The marbling was perfect! Everything about this steak exclaimed perfection. I don't believe I've had a better steak before. The texture of the steak was firm and was nicely trimmed of all extraneous matter, save the bone. Mrs. Chicken Fried's steak was also very agreeable to her. The Gorgonzola Mac and Cheese was acceptable, the cheese was a bit rubbery, and there was a small hint of aftertaste from the Gorgonzola cheese, but that was to be expected.

BACK TO THE CELEBRITIES!

Hef's crew promptly left after eating, and Mrs. Chicken Fried was staring at them like a buzzard as they passed behind us. Hef looked GREAT! On the show he looks tired, but here in person he looked pretty active and vibrant. As stated earlier, Holly looked beautiful in her purple dress. All of a sudden, I hear a, "HI KENDRA!" coming from Mrs. Chicken Fried. Kendra one of the Girl's Next Door turned around and smiled at the Mrs. waved and said, "Hi!" then rushed outside with the others. Mrs. Chicken Fried was all smiles after her celebrity encounter, and I admit I was all smiles as well. Mrs. Chicken Fried tried to snap some photos but they ended up being blocked or having shots of the back of the girls as they moved through the restaurant very quickly. I dubbed Mrs. Chicken Fried last night, Mrs. Paparazzi.

We had a wonderful dining experience at Mastro's. The food was excellent and the quantity and quality exceeds what you would get at a typical high-end dining establishment. Don't order too many sides though as they are meal-sized in our opinion. Their steaks were utter perfection, and while our budget might not allow us to go there often, we do look forward to dining there again.

Saint Albray Cheese- A Commentary

2008-02-05T15:11:00.000-08:00

I'm not a sophisticate when it comes to dining, I usually eat where the food is tasty whether it's AM/PM Mini Market one one end of the spectrum, to the dearly departed L'Orangerie on the other end. I tend to lean toward the fast food.

A few weeks ago, me and Mrs. Chicken Fried went to one of the higher-end grocery stores to sample some cheeses. The Cheese Person in the store recommended some cheese all of which we enjoyed. I noticed an imported cheese in the refrigerator and asked about it. That cheese was Saint Albray Cheese.

According to Wikipedia:

"Saint Albray is a cheese which comes from the Aquitaine region of France.
Invented in 1976, the cheese is similar to Camembert cheese, it has the same attributes, but is not quite as strong. Made with pasteurized cow's milk, this popular cheese is ripened for 2 weeks and formed into a shape not unlike the head of a flower with each "petal" forming a half pound of cheese. The "petals" are formed around a disk, when removed, it creates a hollow center giving the impression of the center of the flower. Saint Albray slices beautifully and when the whole wheel is displayed, this cheese makes an attractive centerpiece to a table. Saint Albray is mild and moist, but still retains its body despite its creamy nature."

Anyways, the lady in the cheese shop said that she didn't particularly care for that kind of cheese. She said that many people liked it however. She gestured to indicate that she found the cheese stinky.

Well being adventurous, I asked for a sample. She cut two medium sized chunks out and offered it to my wife and myself. Mrs. Chicken Fried was a little hesitant, and I jumped in and plopped the cheese in my mouth...

I have never wanted to spit out anything so fast in my life! I started chewing on it and it was smooth and creamy as stated, however it was extremely bitter and had an ammonia type odor to it. I smiled and turned to my wife with a fake look of enjoyment and said, "It's good, try some.." She didn't. Shortly afterwards, I ran to the nearest trash can and spit it out.

THE END

Who's Reuben Reigns Supreme? -CALIFORNIA

2008-02-01T10:03:00.000-08:00

In California, two of our favorite Deli's are Larchmont Deli a favored dining establishment with fellow writer Eddiebomber and Brent's Deli, The #1 shop according to long lost writer Tony.

One of our favorite sandwiches there is the Reuben. So today we will have a Battle Reuben Supreme!

Brent's Deli has a Black Pastrami Reuben which is served on grillled rye, hot sauerkraut, and topped off with Russian Dressing. The grilled rye makes all the difference in the world, and to me having it fried on a grill adds to the flavor and juiciness of the sandwich. The Pastrami is so tender it literally falls apart in your mouth before your teeth makes contact with it. The cheese is melted and the condiments are lightly applied so as not to overwhelm the taste of the meat. I'm not a fan of sauerkraut which might be blasphemous, so I usually order this on the side.

Brent's Deli in Northridge has been there for decades and looks like a family restaurant straight from the 60's or 70's. There is a large deli counter where you can purchase cheese, meats, and other deli items to bring home with you. Service was very friendly, however Brent's gets extremely crowded. Even in this strip mall deli, I had a hard time finding parking, and most of the cars in the lot were there for Brent's.

Larchmont Deli has a Pastrami Reuben, which is on a toasted rye. I thought that this would make it a more dry sandwich, but upon sinking my teeth into this sandwich, I was amazed at how juicy it is. This is perhaps the juiciest slab of Pastrami I have EVER taste. It also had melted cheese and dressing on it, and was very delicious. The meat did not fall apart as it did with Brent's but the juiciness is really incomparable.

Larchmont Deli has a very old world feel and is a throwback to delis in the past. This may add to its charm. There is a small deli counter in the front. There's the standard deli items and some Greek food items served as well. Service was impeccable as the two gentlemen at the front counter really were so attentive and friendly. You feel like they've known you for years even though it's your first time there.

For me, it's a toss-up, Brent's Reuben has all that fried bread goodness combined with a literally falling apart in your mouth pastrami. Larchmont Deli has one of the juiciest sandwiches I have ever tasted. So for me it's a tie and depends on what suits my whims during the day. Let us know what you think..

Larchmont Deli & Market
5210 W. Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90004
Phone: (323) 466-1193 or (213) 466-1194/Fax: (323) 466-1419
Monday thru Friday Open 8:00 am - 6 pm
Saturday 8 am - 5 pm Sunday 10 am - 3 pm

www.larchmontdeli.com

Brent's Deli
19565 Parthenia St., Northridge CA 91324
Phone Number: 818.886.5679
Northridge Daily 6am - 9pm

www.brentsdeli.com

Found on YouTube- Los Angeles' Deli Story

2008-02-01T09:00:00.000-08:00

Cheeseburger in a Can: REVIEWED

2008-02-01T01:15:00.000-08:00

Well, someone actually did it. A guy in Germany went to a store, bought it and posted his review of it, complete with pictures. Check it out here.

Cheeseburger in a Can

2008-01-29T11:47:00.003-08:00

Somebody please order this, eat it and do a review on it. I dare you.

http://www.trekking-mahlzeiten.de/trekking-mahlzeiten-online-shop/produkte/Zwischenmahlzeiten_507/Cheeseburger_in_der_Dose_4641.html

Moz Buddha Lounge- Agoura, CALIFORNIA

2008-01-25T12:20:00.000-08:00

It seems like its been a while since our last blog post, this has mostly been due to our day jobs interfering with our blogging, so we are proud to present to you our third posting for the New Year.

A few weeks ago, The Chicken Fried Family drove through the torrents of rain to eat at the Moz Buddha Lounge in Agoura. The first thing that struck me was how out of place this restaurant felt. It is located in a non-descript suburban strip mall in Agoura. On the outside, you would never know what a beautiful restaurant it is on the inside.

Inside, you will find a large golden Buddha which sits in the center of the restaurant. On the sides you will see individual shrines along the walls. The restaurant had subdued lighting which added to the ambiance. The walls are a pleasingly adorned with red woods. The tables are all elegantly laid out.

The cuisine at Moz is a fusion of Indian, Asian and American flavors.

For starters we began with the Spicy Tempura Rock Shrimp which the Chicken Fried Family devoured in seconds. It had a nice semi-hot spice on the crust, that left you wanting more. This was a fabulous appetizer.

I ordered the 20 oz Bone in Ribeye Steak, and Mrs. Chicken Fried ordered the Hawaiian Mahi Mahi. While we were impressed with the starter, it soon became apparent that our entree's did live up to our expectations. The Ribeye Steak while flavorful was not a very good cut. I appreciate marbelling like everyone else, but there was TOO much fat on my steak. There was also too much gristle. All of this could have been rectified with a better cut of steak. The Mrs. was also not satisfied with her dish, as she felt the fish was overcooked and rubbery.

We ended our meal, full yet hardly satisfied. We may have caught Moz on a bad day is it was raining cats and dogs that night and we were only one of a handful of diners. We went to this restaurant expecting more, and while visually stimulated our stomach were left wanting.

Moz Buddha Lounge
30105 Agoura Rd.
Agoura Hills, CA 91301
818-735-0091

All Things Bacon...

2008-01-15T11:56:00.001-08:00

One of my favorite things in the entire world is bacon. Bacon is that miracle ingredient which makes everything taste better. It turns a lowly hamburger into a sumptuous feast. It makes salads palatable. There are only a few other materials in this world that do the same thing the others being butter or teflon.

Check out this website for interesting bacon novelties such as the:

Bacon Bandages
Bacon Mints

Bacon Wallet

You can find all these and other strange products such as Gummy Haggis at:

www.mcphee.com

Our regularly scheduled blogpost will resume shortly...

Traxx in Union Station- CALIFORNIA

2008-01-04T11:31:00.000-08:00

This past holiday season, I had the opportunity to eat at a restaurant I've kind of always wanted to try out, but never had the time to. That restaurant is called Traxx and it is located in the downtown Union Station.

Traxx evokes a nostalgic feel from an era where travel via train was commonplace and where train stations would serve as hubs for travel, entertainment and dining in the past. Well nowadays at least in California this type of travel is non-existent with the advent of the automobile.

Located in the main waiting section of Union Station amid the intricately carved wood and leather chairs where patrons wait for their various transport connections, is Traxx.

Traxx has both outdoor (out of the restaurant) and indoor seating. My party sat indoors thinking it would shelter us from the cold of the main lobby. This was not to be the case however as it was still cold inside. The decor was extremely minimalist.
with some wood panels on an otherwise bare wall. Since the outside of the restaurant had a that art-deco vibe, I anticipated that the interior would as well. I was a little disappointed. But I was here to eat not admire the scenery sooo....

I ordered the Classic Reuben which had corned beef, sauerkraut, Gruyere and Dijon dressing on rye. After waiting for what seemed like a long time I finally received my dish. It was a little smaller than I expected. Usually when I order a deli type sandwich it is stacked with loads of meat, this sandwich was not what I would call stacked. The bread was nicely grilled, the overall taste of the sandwich was sour with no real hint of the spiciness or brininess of the corned beef. Another unusual feature was the presence of greens (lettuce) in the sandwich. Not expected, nor desired. This was a little disappointing. The gruyere was a nice touch, and you can never have too much of that. Overall the dining experience was average and the food also was average as well.

I was really looking forward to eating at Traxx, however it didn't really live up to the images that I conjured up in my head seeking a dining experience from a bygone era. That is too bad as with the advent of the subway system in Los Angeles, Traxx has the opportunity to introduce fine dining to the many travellers that pass through. However with just average food, I'm not sure it will entice nor leave a good impression on it's patrons.

On The Border - Northridge, CA

2007-12-24T14:34:00.000-08:00

The Mrs. and I were shopping at the Northridge Mall and decided to grab a quick bite to eat. For some strange reason, she chose On the Border. She never wants to eat there, but apparently, she was in the mood for Mexican food.

I decided to go with the build your own burrito and have it fried like a chimichanga. I must say that they made it really easy to build my meal. They brought out a checklist and I just checked off everything I wanted (shredded beef, black beans, and cheese). When it came out, I was so pleased. It was exactly as I wanted. It was tasty. Unfortunately, the Mrs's tacos were a little too rare and had to be sent back; however, when they did come back, the flavor was excellent!

The Secret Garden - Moorpark, CA

2007-12-21T17:15:00.000-08:00

If any of you were lucky enough to watch Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares a couple of weeks ago, you were able to see what he did with The Secret Garden. It went from a place that looked like it served tea to 90-year old women to a nice and cozy restaurant. Being intrigued (since I work in Moorpark, I decided to go to lunch there.

My first impression was "Oh, Oh!!" The new modern sign that they'd placed during the show was gone. In its place, the original, antique-looking sign. I was very worried. When I entered, I was pleasantly surprised. The cozies, doilies, and antiques were gone. The menu was very interesting because Chef Ramsay mentioned that it seemed like everything on Chef Michel's menu was encrusted. I had to try one of the encrusted dishes...the grilled chicken breast in a light au jus with brocoli and garlic fries.

Much to my surprise, the chicken was not encrusted. At least, it wasn't encrusted in a way that I would called encrusted. It was as if the chicken had been pan fried in a little oil and then drizzeled with the au jus. On top of that, some herbs and spices were sprinkled. It was quite tasty. I hate sauces, but this au jus was quite nice, light, and flavorful. The chicken may have been slightly over spiced, but that did not detract from the flavor of the meal. I could push the excess spices off the chicken. Needless to say, I didn't touch the brocoli, but the fries were shoestring and quite crispy.

As we were having our desert, Chef Michel came out and greeted the guests in the dining room. He was quite concerned with our opinions and wanted to make sure that we were pleased with our meals. While working the room, he did two phone interviews where he talked about Kitchen Nightmares and Gordon Ramsay. In both interviews, he said, "Just because he is English and I am French does not mean that he is right and I am wrong. I serve both the menu that I've had for seven years and the menu he recommended. Orders are about 65% to 35% in favor of my menu."

I don't care which menu I ordered from. I was quite pleased and would recommend visiting the restaurant if you are in Hell's Half Acre AKA Moorpark, CA. I'd be quite interested in going there for dinner to get the full experience.

Check out the web site for menu and directions. If you are in the mood for a nice liesurely lunch, this is the place for you. Our lunch lasted three hours...you've got to love the week before Christmas.

http://www.thesecretgardenrestaurant.com/

A Great Frozen Pizza! - Mail Order, CHICAGO

2007-12-21T12:10:00.000-08:00

Can a frozen pizza ever rival a freshly baked one from your local pizzeria? It can if it's one sent to you from Lou Malnati's in Chicago.

I've been a fan of Lou Malnati's Pizza since Los Angeles lost it's last Pizzeria Uno Chain Restaurant about 5-7 years ago. After that horrible event, I vowed to find a place where I could have Deep Dish Pizza done the Chicago way with a ton of toppings and a crust that was flakey and delicious enough to eat on it's own. After searching desperately through the web, I located a Pizzeria Chain in Chicago called Lou Malnati's. Not only did they have their own dine-in restaurants since 1971, now up to 25 pizzerias, but they also shipped their famous pizzas.

So I placed my order for 4 individual pizza pies. I can't remember the price back then, but nowadays it goes for $74.95 which includes shipping. The very next day I had my deep dish pizzas, and quickly baked one of them. It came out of the oven in absolute pizza perfection. The crust was exactly how I remembered Chicago Deep Dish Pizza as having, flakey, buttery, and oh so very scrumptuous! I rushed eating it and nearly burned my mouth. I had to have another one, so I popped the second one in, but increased the temperature and shortened the cooking time. I needed it now. Well that little experiment didn't work, as the pizza ended up getting burnt and soggy. I kept the remaining Pizzas in the refrigerator for the next couple of weeks and promptly consumed those.

Lou Malnati's will ship the pizzas to you all over the world via UPS Next Day Air packed in dry ice. Just be sure theres someone home to get your pizzas, or you may mysteriously find them consumed. Lou's has the following toppings:

Cheese -Fresh mozzarella and parmesan. Simplicity at its best.

Sausage -Try our world famous cheese with sausage pizza. A layer of lean sausage blended exclusively for Lou Malnati's that is placed across the entire pizza.

Roni -Think you've had a pepperoni pizza before, think again!

Veggie -A vegetarian's delight! Made with fresh mozzarella, mushrooms, onions, and green peppers.

Spinach -Our spinach is much more than just spinach. It is made only with the finest ingredients of spinach, shredded provolone cheese, onions, garlic, and basil. Enjoy!

Crustless -Our newest part of the deep-dish family, offers a 100% gluten free pizza. We use our lean sausage as a base, topped with fresh mozzarella and tomato sauce. Perfect for people who are gluten intolerant or low carb dieters.

I've only had the sausage and pepperoni, but I'll be sure to try out the others after the holiday season.

If you are in the Chicago area, be sure to stop by and have one freshly made for you in one of their restaurants. However if you are unlucky enough to live in the other 49 states, you can order their pizza online at: www.tastesofchicago.com

Yama Sushi - Moorpark

2007-12-07T15:44:00.001-08:00

Now before you go and freak out, I did not eat sushi. They also have a teppan menu of which I took the steak and chicken lunch combo. At Bennihana, that would be known as Rocky's Choice.

For lunch, it was ok. We had a large group of co-workers going out to lunch for two guys' last day (corporate downsizing is what they call it). The service was a little slow, but they weren't really prepared for a party of 35 people. That being said, the servers and chef, Fred, worked very hard to deliver a nice meal.

The steak was cooked medium as requested...Fred used a little too much pepper for my liking, but I'm not going too complain. The chicken was nice and savory. I would have liked a little lemon to be spritzed on it, but it was still tasty.

If you are in Moorpark (unless you live or work here, God knows why you'd be out here in Hell's Half Acre), it would be a nice place if you are in the mood for sushi or for teppan style food.

Yama Sushi is located at:

233 W Los Angeles AveMoorpark, CA 93021Phone: (805) 553-9865

Mariela's Taco's- K-TOWN, CALIFORNIA

2007-12-06T13:46:00.000-08:00

No, I would never have gone into this place if a co-worker hadn't dragged me there for a 2 mile roundtrip walk from work. Mariela's Taco's is one of many Taquerias that you see in every other Mini-Mall in the Downtown LA/Koreatown Area.

So what makes this place so special? Well it's their Asada, namely their Burritos Carne Asada.

Once inside you will find yourself in an eatery with gumball and sticker machines greeting you at the entrance and with aluminum lined walls. You will see a whole lot of religious bumper stickers affixed to the glass partition on the counter that lets you witness one of the many cooks prepare your tacos.

As I placed my order after a good 10 minute wait in line, I watched as one of the servers took out a big slab of freshly grilled beef, cooked well done and with a nice char on the outside. She took a cleaver and started hacking it into little morsels 0f tasty goodness. I could not wait..

After what seemed like an eternity of waiting, my number was called. "Cincuenta!" and I rushed to the counter and for what seemed like an eternity but was actually a few seconds of restraint, I tore into my burrito during the walk back to the office.

So what did I think? Perfection achieved? Not yet.. My Burrito Asada was ruined (in my opinion) with an abundance of refried beans. I usually order my Burrito with just rice, cilantro, hot sauce, onions, and that's it. However there were beans in my burrito and it got in the way of the perfectly cooked and tasty asada. Once the beans were cleared and I had a clear bite of the chopped steak which was salty crusty and charred intermingled with some softer cuts, I knew I arrived at my destination. This is what makes a great burrito!

I vow that this will probably not be my last trip, as I need to go back and get the burrito of my specifications. And when I do, I will have found my burrito..

Mariela's Tacos is located at:
3662 W 3rd St
Los Angeles,90020

At the time of this writing the Burrito Asada with Everything was $3.75

Words from Mon Grenier...- CALIFORNIA

2007-12-05T09:36:00.000-08:00

A few weeks back, I reminisced about a wonderful French Restaurant, Mon Grenier that Mrs. Chicken Fried and I used to visit. We were fortunate enough to dine there a couple times before they closed. Well a week ago I received an email from Chrissy who was the pastry chef at Mon Grenier as well as the daughter of Andre the owner of the restaurant.

She has given me permission to report that they have not reopened anywhere yet. Andre is currently somewhat retired, and Chrissy continues to do some small caterings. Although Mon Grenier is closed, they do have fond memories of the place and appreciate their loyal customers. She closed the email by saying "Never say never.." So hopefully one day we can delight to their food once again..

If you would like to write Chrissy about your experiences at Mon Grenier or drop her a line, you can write to her at:

Mongrenier18040 (at) aol (dot) com

or

Chrissyscatering (at) aol (dot) com

Let them know that you heard about them on The Chicken Fried Blog Website.

Pizza Hut's Double Deep Pizza

2007-11-28T14:23:00.000-08:00

I tried it and it is GOD AWFUL!!! There's almost no cheese. The crust is crap. The toppings were cooked properly, but there was just too much. Stay away. Stick to the thin crust pizza and go light on the sauce.

Disney Dining, Blue Bayou Restaurant- CALIFORNIA

2007-11-21T11:12:00.000-08:00

Well it was Baby Chicken Fried's first trip to Disneyland, and no trip is complete without at least dining in the Blue Bayou Restaurant which is located inside and adjacent to the Pirates of The Carribean ride.

The Blue Bayou is next to the Pirates Docking station where you board your boats. I used to tell guests from out of town that the diners that you would see in the restaurant were actually robots. At least one or two people believed me! The theme and environment of the restaurant is perpetually nighttime dining, as the pseudo-outdoor patio is darkened by the Pirate's ride and there are the ambient sounds of crickets and water flowing that further adds to this illusion. You can be eating lunch here and literally believe that you are dining at night. Candles and outdoor lighting, and robotic fireflies fool you into believing you are in a New Orleans courtyard sitting by a river.

Being experienced Disneyland visitors we knew we had to make reservations at least 30 days in advance. Which we did. However arriving at our appointed time, we still had to wait at least another 30 minutes before we were seated. This was unacceptable, but luckily we had snacks in our backpack to prevent us from keeling over in hunger.

The food served at the Blue Bayou is listed as Creole-Cajun Style food. After we were seated, I ordered the Prime Rib, Grand Cut, and Mrs. Chicken Fried ordered the Jambalaya. We started our meal with a bowl of gumbo which was pretty spicy and delicious. Baby Chicken Fried just ate our side dishes which primarily consisted of sliced potatoes in a cream sauce. The Prime Rib was an extremely generous serving, almost covering my whole plate and being an 1 inch to 1 3/4 inches thick. I ordered it Medium and it indeed came to me in that level of doneness. It had a nice crust, and although there was a bit more fat than I am used it, it just added to the flavoring of the Prime Rib. I practically inhaled my Prime Rib, but was satisfied by the time I finished.

However, Mrs. Chicken Fried was not too happy with her Jambalaya. She complained that the seasoning was not thoroughly mixed with the dish and that it seemed to be just added on the top as an afterthought. She wished for a more uniform taste in her Jambalaya.

Although we ate here a dinner they also serve lunch, and my favorite dish for lunch is the Monte Cristo Sandwich, which unfortunately was not being served for dinner.

Prices at the Blue Bayou are a bit steep in my opinion, with prices ranging from $25-35. Was the food worth this price? The food quality was good, but I really don't think so. If you include the long wait times, you are really paying for the ambiance and atmosphere of fantasy dining in the New Orleans. I recommend the Blue Bayou for first-comers to the Disney park, but for a repeat visit it may not be worth your time.

Fins Creekside Calabasas- CALIFORNIA

2007-11-18T10:18:00.000-08:00

We took out Chicken Fried Grandpa out for his Birthday last night to Fins Creekside Calabasas.

Fins is a quaint seafood restaurant that is located in the old town section of Calabasas. The restaurant gives you the impression of being in a cabin, or a house. It is very charming and elegant, but not in with a froo froo kind of elegance, but very understated, and very comfortable.

The walls are predominantly deep red with cream colors. Hand painted sconces line the dining room, and the entire room is surrounded by French doors which gives an open and airy experience. In the corner is a stone hearth, further contributing the homey and warm atmosphere. Outside is a patio that is surrounded by lush greenery and overlooking a creek.
Each table in the dining room has on one side had a chaise lounge that seats 2, perhaps to inspire a mood for couples and on the other side were separate chairs.

I told Mrs. Chicken Fried that I wish I took her here first, because it was a really romantic setting and would have made a great date outing.

"How do you like me now, Ay?"

As a starter we were served a complimentary Butternut Squash Soup. A deliciously sweet and buttery concoction. Our entire party enjoyed it very much. The Chicken Fried Family ordered Oysters on a half shell which I did not partake of. Grandma and Grandpa Chicken Fried ordered the Clam Chowder and proclaimed it THE BEST he had ever tasted, even better than the Chowder he had in Boston. Sacrilege? I don't know, but the food was excellent!

For my main entree, I ordered the Penne with Smoked Salmon. This was an absolutely fabulous dish. The salmon is smoked and flaked and is surrounded by penne pasta, light cream with leeks and carrots. It seems simple enough, but one bite had me addicted! I devoured this dish in seconds and if not for the sheer quantity, I would have ordered another one. The deep smokiness of the salmon flavored the remaining components of the dish which were drizzled with a cream sauce so light, it didn't leave you feeling weighed down. I now have a new favorite food!

We all drank the various house wines and had a satisfactory experience with those, and sat and enjoyed the live acoustic guitar music for the night.

All in all, it was a wonderful night, with good food, wonderful scenery, and excellent service. A dining experience doesn't get better than this..

Fins Creekside Calabasas
23504 Calabasas Rd
Calabasas, CA 91302
(818) 223-3467

Leda's Bakeshop- CALIFORNIA

2007-11-16T11:48:00.000-08:00

Here's something a little different than a restaurant review, but related to food. Leda's Bakeshop specializes in creating mini-cupcakes. These little gourmet gems come in a variety of flavors that normally don't see on a cupcake. Some of these flavors include Chocolate Peanut Butter (Tastes just like a Reeses Peanut Butter Cup!), or Carrot which has Mascarpone Buttercream and and an Orange Curd Filling. The two bite wonders (literally) are bursting with flavor, and are little works of art in my opinion. You sometimes don't want to bite into it because it looks so nice, but once you do, you won't hesitate to try the next flavor, and the next, and the next..

(PHOTO COURTESY OF LEDASBAKESHOP.COM)

One of my favorites is Chocolate Chocolate White Chocolate and another is Velvet. Each cupcake has buttercream frosting and a dollop of filling. If you want they also have Vegan versions of their cupcakes. Leda's doesn't just make cupcakes, but it is what they are famous for. Try to stop by Leda's they often have different flavors for you to try out in their bakery case. Me and Mrs. Chicken Fried once spent an hour trying different flavors. Leda's pays a great attention to detail and will create custom cupcakes for you and any of your celebrations. Give them a call.. you won't regret it.

Leda's Bake Shop
13722 Ventura Blvd.
Sherman Oaks, CA 91423
818 386 9644
www.ledasbakeshop.com

Earth Wind and Flour

2007-11-10T15:31:00.000-08:00

One time, Micetas, Malpert, and I were driving around the San Fernando Valley on a Saturday night as we used to do and we didn't know where to go. For some reason, Malpert kept on screaming "EARTH WIND AND FLOUR" like the retarded kid in Cabin Fever screamed "PANCAKES PANCAKES PANCAKES!!!" It was quite odd, but we drove to the place where it used to be and it was no longer there...not wanting to drive over the hill, we wound up going to the Pizza Cookery instead.

Sandwich Express, Banh Mi in the SFV- CALIFORNIA

2007-11-09T09:46:00.000-08:00

It is usually common knowledge that the you can find the best Banh Mi (or Vietnamese Sandwiches) in places like Garden Grove or the San Gabriel Valley. But how about in the San Fernando Valley?

Well there is a place that the Mrs. and I like to go, and the quality and selection is very very good. It is called Sandwich Express and is located in Reseda.

(Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.com)

Most of the Banh Mi I have tasted is usually from the SGV in little Mom and Pop shops that line up along Valley Blvd. I have developed a fondness for these sandwiches which are served on freshly baked French Bread with ingredients like grilled beef, peppers, and pickled carrots and onions.

However, sometimes the quality can be inconsistent where you might get a sandwich where the meat is a little dry or where you don't get that much meat, or maybe the bread is tough.

I'm glad to say that Sandwich Express on the more than handful of times I've been there has always made good sandwiches. The meat is juicy, tender, and flavorful. The toppings in the right proportion, and are a nice cool contrast to the meat. The bread has a crispy light crust with the soft and chewy interior. You have a choice of 15 different sandwich fillings. I particularly love the grilled beef. My wife loves the grilled pork.

I would have to say that Sandwich Express really is right up there with best that the SGV and OC have to offer.

The sandwiches are made fresh in front of you, and the bread is also baked fresh on the premises. You can buy the loaves separately to bring home for a few cents. The best part of it is the low price and large size of the Banh Mi Sandwiches (About 12 inches long). You can probably feed and stuff a party of 2 for around $8, and that includes a soda. You can also follow up with a Cafe Su De which is a very delicious and strong Vietnamese style coffee served with sweetened condensed milk.

If you are ever in the San Fernando Valley, give them a try, I think you will find them comparable to the Banh Mi you can find in other places. I highly recommend it!

Sandwich Express
18575 Sherman Way
Reseda, CA 91335
(818) 757-7698

A Restaurant I Miss... Mon Grenier- ENCINO, CALIFORNIA

2007-11-09T09:22:00.000-08:00

There once was a nice small and intimate little French Restaurant in the San Fernando Valley that Mrs. Chicken Fried and I used to frequent. It was called Mon Grenier (The Little Attic).

This was a restaurant that really made you feel at home. The maitre' d and owner would always greet us personally and explain everything that was on the menu. The menu itself was written on an apron which was placed ontop of a seamstresses dummy named Gigi and brought to your table. A little odd? Perhaps, but very charming. The owner would sit at our table and converse with us a little about the history of the food being served, and he always made sure we were happy with our meal.

The steaks were outstanding and compared very favorably to any high end steak house. The appetizers and hors doerves were rich tasting and lavish. This was a dining experience that was so good, that you felt sad having to leave after your meal and dreamed of the next time you could dine there again, budget not withstanding.

The owners were Franco-Belgian, and as they describe it. Belgian Food is French Food in German Proportions. Was the food expensive? A little.. but not prohibitively so. The portions were very generous and more than enough to satisfy you.

Mon Grenier closed early last year as they lost their lease. We had the opportunity to dine there before they closed and the owners said they were looking for another place. I put my name on their mailing list hoping to be contacted about a grand reopening, but alas have not heard from them since.

If anybody has heard of what has happened to Mon Grenier, please let me know. It really was a dining experience that I miss greatly.. Email us if you have heard anything about the owners and if they did end up opening another restaurant.

Mon Grenier used to be located at:
18040 Ventura Blvd
Encino, CA 91316-3591
Phone: (818) 344-8060

A Message From the Editor

2007-11-07T11:04:00.000-08:00

Hello fearless readers. We the writers at The Chicken Fried Blog have set up an email address where you can send to us your suggestions and comments. Let us know what kinds of things you want us to write about, or if you know of any good restaurants we can try out.

Our new email address is: info (AT) thechickenfriedblog (dot) com

Or click on the button on the top left of the page to send us an email directly.

Thanks for your continued readership.

Sorry for the lack of updates on the site during the past week, we will be posting some new reviews at the beginning of next week.

Mikado- PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA

2007-10-31T12:35:00.001-07:00

They say that dining is not an event solely for nourishment, but also for entertainment. Perhaps you are entertained by the style, decor or ambiance of a restaurant, or perhaps you are entertained by the variety and creativity of the dishes. But sometimes the act of watching your food being prepared is a show in itself.

The restaurant I'm reviewing is not going to win any awards for true gourmet dining, nor would most jaded diners consider it to be very entertaining, but when viewed through the eyes of someone who's never experienced Entertainment Dining, I found a lot that I could enjoy.

The Mikado Restaurant is located in the Desert Springs Marriott located in Palm Desert a few miles east of Palm Springs. It is a Japanese Teppan Grill Restaurant, where the chef prepares the food in front of you on a grill. (a la Benihana's) We started our dining experience by taking one of the water taxi's from the interior of the hotel out towards the back of the hotel which is surrounded by a man made lake. This in itself is pretty entertaining and romantic. Sure you could use one of the many walkways to get to the restaurant, but the experience of being transported on a boat to your destination evokes many a memory of being on a vacation far far away from normal life.

Upon reaching the dock in front of the Mikado Restaurant you are greeted by two large copper Japanese Dog Dragon Statues, and you make your way through various bridges surrounded by flowing water and miniature waterfalls until you reach the entrance of the Mikado. In the center of the restaurant is a Japanese Garden, which is very serene with water features, bridges, and benches for you to wait for your table to be prepared.

Sitting at the Teppan Grill in a U-Shape which surrounds the Chef, you are asked for what meats you want prepared prior to the chef's arrival. I ordered the New York Steak, Mrs. Chicken Fried ordered the Filet Mignon, and Grandma & Grandpa Chicken Fried ordered the fish and scallops. Our chef seemed kind of sedate for a Teppan Chef, but he was mildly entertaining. We saw many other tables filled with laughter and applause at really spirited and creative chef's performing for them. Ours on a scale of 1-10 was probably a 6 in the spirited department. He started off, but giving us an appetizer of shrimp which was quickly and expertly grilled, and sliced with precision in front of us. He then started on the Fried Rice which was pretty good, but I wish that he saved the crunch bits for me. Part of the entertainment involves fire, in which he ignites some cooking oil inside onion slices forming a faux volcano. Pretty good stuff the first time you see it.

What's fascinating is watching the chef slice through pieces of meat on the grill in a manic state. I could probably slice as fast as he could, but I would probably lose a digit or two. All of the food is prepared at one time, and he hurriedly switches from different diner's meals to the other. I ordered my New York Steak medium rare, and indeed it actually was served to me Medium Rare. My steak was very tender and had a great char on the outside coupled with the soft velvety interior of the steak. Mrs. Chicken Fried's Filet was very delicate and soft, and had a distinctly different flavor than my New York Steak, it was a bit gamier in my opinion. I didn't get a chance to sample Grandpa and Grandma Chicken Fried's Fish and Scallops, but they seemed to enjoy it. But the true purpose of coming here wasn't the food, it was the entertainment. During our meal, there were pieces of meat being tossed in the air directly into diner's mouths, pyrotechnic displays with our food, and skillful knife handling that kept us smiling and hoping for more. Yes we did envy other tables that had chefs with more dynamic and exciting performances, but seeing as how Grandma and Grandpa Chicken Fried never experienced this before and were truly entertained was the reason we were here.

Mikado is a pretty nice place for dinner if you've never been to a Teppan Grill before, and I recommend it when you have guests in from out of town who you want to show a good time. As for me and the Mrs. it's old hat, but going with people who had never been there, let us enjoy vicariously through them.

74855 Country Club Dr
Palm Desert, CA 92260
(760) 341-1725

The Elephant Bar- SANTA CLARITA, CALIFORNIA

2007-10-24T09:51:00.001-07:00

(PHOTO FROM ELEPHANTBAR.COM)

Last weekend, Mrs. Chicken Fried wanted to take me to a restaurant that she frequents for lunch during the work week. She said, "Let's go to the Elephant Bar" Already I had some preconceived notions of this place. I expected typical sports bar food, not a lot of variety, and a dining experience that would not be very satisfying, however.....
Upon arriving at The Elephant Bar in Santa Clarita, it had the exterior had the typical sports bar type look to it, however inside I found that it was a safari themed restaurant that yes caters to the sports bar types, but also to families as well.

To the right of the entrance is a very large concrete sculpture fountain of an elephant head. The restaurant is paneled in dark woods, and the floors are carpeted in a flat tiger print pattern. All around the restaurant were pictures and It was a very entertaining environment and something that kids and big kids (adults) would like.

(PHOTO FROM ELEPHANTBAR.COM)

The menu had a wide variety of dishes, mostly Pacific Islander inspired. This was not the usual bar food you would expect. In fact The Elephant Bar prides themselves on their diverse menu, as well as their utilization of the freshest ingredients.

I ordered the Macadamia Nut Crusted Mahi Mahi, served with white rice and steamed vegetables and topped with Macadamia Nut Beurre Blanc, Mango Salsa, and Tamarind Sauce.

Mrs. Chicken Fried Ordered the Jamaica Mojo Grilled Shrimp Salad, which was comprised of skewered fire grilled shrimp on top of a bed of baby greens.
The food was very good, and that's not just for a sports bar, but for a nice restaurant in general. The Mahi Mahi had a very delicate neutral taste to the fish, not very strong. It had a hint of nuttiness from the macadamia nuts. It was perfectly cooked and tender. The flavors were accentuated by the mango salsa, and the macadamia and butter sauce toppings. Not one taste overpowered any other.

The grilled shrimp salad was also very well done. My wife wanted to know what was in the sweet sauce that topped the salad, but alas was not able to obtain that recipe. It was a perfect salad, with the nice blending of tastes, the salty and grilled taste of the shrimp combined with the coolness of the baby greens, and the sweetness of the dried cranberries, plus the crispness of fried wontons strips.

(BABY CHICKEN FRIED EATING CRAYONS)

Baby Chicken Fried nibbled on some rice and vegetables and was very satisfied. Though I think she also would be satisfied with nibbling on the complimentary crayons they gave to her.

A quick perusal of the menu showed the variety of items that were not typical of a bar- restaurant, such as Quick-Fried Soy-Ginger Calamari, Vietnamese Shrimp Spring Rolls, Blackened Shrimp Jambalaya, Miso Yaki Porkloined Steaks, along with your typical hot wings, burgers, and sandwiches.

Now the only thing I would like to add to my wishlist, is that they had a location closer to home. As I could spend a few weeks trying out every single one of their unique entrees. Another added benefit, most of the entree hover around the $10 range.

The Elephant Bar was definitely not what I expected, and I am glad. I'd like to thank Mrs. Chicken Fried for turning me on to this place. We'll probably go back again for lunch or dinner, and try out something new..

ELEPHANT BAR
27063 Mcbean Pkwy
Santa Clarita, CA 91355
(661) 799-8640

Amaranta Cocina Mexicana- CALIFORNIA

2007-10-17T14:19:00.000-07:00

Continuing with the series of upscale dining coming to malls, we have a review of Amaranta Cocina Mexicana. Last night after looking for a Halloween costume for Baby Chicken Fried, the Chicken Fried Family decided to check out a newcomer restaurant to the mall. We had seen Amaranta open up in the last few months, but had never tried it before.

(Photo courtesy of Amaranta's Website)

Upon entering the restaurant, one notices that the entrance is actually to the right of the open air (to the mall) dining area. Along with the other restaurants at the Westfield Topanga, you get the feeling of entering a fancy bar or club type atmosphere. The wall and furniture are with vibrant pink and burgundy colors, while the slightly darkened room makes for a very intimate dining experience. There are a lot of light colored woods used in the furnishing and walls of the dining area, and there are candles througout the restaurant. Along the tiled ceilings you will find globular chandeliers. There are 3 sections to the restaurant, a full bar area toward the back, the main dining which overlooks the mall toward the front and to the right of the bar is a private dining room which can seat 12 or more people. This area is also darkened to a nice effect.

(Photo Courtesy of Amarantarestaurant.com)

We sat down, and were promptly served a plate of warm soft just out from the grill corn tortillas, accompanied by a quatro of different salsas. The salsas came in different degrees of heat, ranging from mild to extra hot. This was a nice starter and gave us the feeling of warm comfort food. Usually restaurants will serve fried tortillas, but the soft tortillas with salsa was a welcome change.

(Quatro of Salsa)

We ordered the Sangria, which I have to admit was deliciously refreshing! Amaranta has 300 different brands of Tequila, along with Tequila Tasting Night, but the Chicken Fried Family decided that this would wait for another night.. perhaps on the weekend.

I, Chicken Fried ordered my namesake, a Milanesa de Pollo Amaranta with a side of refried beans and Spanish rice. Mrs. Chicken Fried ordered the Chile Relleno de Picadillo. Baby Fried drank baby formula and nibbled on the soft warm tortillas and had some Spanish rice.

My entree came hot out of the kitchen. It was 2 large pounded pieces of chicken breaded and fried with molcajete salsa and manchego cheese. The chicken was not dry and was surprisingly moist, the toppings were flavorful, but lacked spicy kick that I was anticipating. This is not to say that my meal was bad. Far from it, it was a nice step up from your usual Mexican Restaurant fare. My only suggestion to the chef, is to be more daring with the flavors. I know that they are trying to appeal to a wide variety of diners, but for a restaurant that touts traditional Mexican cooking, they could have been different and used more adventurous flavoring. I had a side of refried beans, which uniquely had pork chorizo mixed in with bacon, chile and cilantro. Delicious! The Spanish rice was typical, again not too adventurous.

(My namesake in a dish)

Mrs. Chicken Fried had the Chile Relleno de Picadillo, and from what I was able to sample it too was VERY delicious, but not daring. The Chile itself has huge and still looked like an actual Chile rather than the pounded mess you find in other restaurants.

Being full we did not get to sample the dessert menu, but I've already thought of what I will have during our next visit and that would be the Churros filled with cream with a side of Ice Cream. The waiter was kind enough to give me a sample of the Mexican Hot Chocolate. It was a hot and spicy sweet drink of chocolate and cinnamon, which tasted more and more delicious with every sip.

Amaranta also has a separate TO-GO/Gift Shop section that will sell you desserts as well as ingredients and cookbooks for you to try out with your own recipes.

Amaranta has only been open 4 months and I feel that they are still experimenting and finding themselves. Again I suggest to the chef to be daring, and try out flavors that don't cater to the typical diner, but reflect more of the authentic tastes they advertise. Amaranta is a definite step up in terms of menu items and ambiance from your typical chain Mexican Restaurants. The wait staff was extremely friendly and helpful, and made our dining experience pleasant. To be fair, I enjoyed my meal immensely and look forward to sampling more of their menu items as this restaurant matures.

6600 Topanga Canyon Blvd. Suite 1029
Canoga Park Ca, 91303
(Located in the Westfield Topanga Shopping Center)
Phone: (818) 610-3599
www.amarantarestaurant.com

Portero Canyon Buffet- CABAZON, CALIFORNIA

2007-10-16T10:28:00.001-07:00

You don't often see one of those All-You-Can Eat Buffets on restaurant review sites, so I'm posting one that we dined at this weekend. Most of the best All-You-Can Eat Buffets are in Las Vegas, but this is one that is located right here in California at the Morongo Casino Spa Resort. The one thing that really impressed me about this buffet is the selection. I'll post a short listing of some of my dining choices and my impressions on them..

Chicken Alfredo with Lemon- Very good, fresh ingredients!
Country Fried Steak- A little tough, maybe overcooked, but still good.
Macaroni and Cheese- Definitely Velveeta, but with an extra tang, maybe some Cheddar in there.
Prime Rib- Somewhat dry in the center, but flavorful and juicy by the crust. They had a number of toppings for this including horseradish, Sherry Au Jus, and other glazes.
Fried Chicken- Juicy! Best I've had at a buffet!
Rotisserie Chicken- Tasty! Good flavor, very moist! Again the best I've had at a buffet!
Garlic Mashed Potatoes- Decent
Potato Chips- Thinly sliced and fried just for you! Not the out of the bag variety!

Your standard Breakfast items included:
Freshly made waffles from a waffle iron
Bacon, sausage, egg, etc..

There are other things which I didn't get to sample as I was getting full, but I will try next time, such as:

An extensive seafood section including Crab Legs, Grilled Halibut, Whitefish, Salmon, etc..
Grilled Chicken with Tequila and Lime Sauce
Deep Dish Pizza (various toppings)
Machaka
Mongolian Stir Fried Noodles (You choose the ingredients and the chefs prepare it for you)
Japanese Food such as Gyoza Dumplings
Thai Food- Thai Noodles
Chinese Food- Fried Rice, Dumplings, etc..
Mexican Food (sorely lacking here, as they only had the Machaka, Tacos, Refried beans, etc..)

The other thing that impressed me was the fully loaded pastry and dessert section. They had Creme Brulee, Cheesecake, Chocolate Éclairs, Chocolate Croissants, Cream Puffs, Chocolate Cake, Yellow Cake, Flourless Cake, you name it!

The Portero Canyon Buffet is a totally open kitchen. You can see the various chefs preparing your food fresh right behind the buffet serving tables. Whether its stir frying noodles, or seeing the pastry chefs putting frosting and piping on the cake. There was also a huge rotisserie chamber in the back with at least a dozen whole chickens peaking through the glass enclosure.

There is a very well stocked fruit table in the center of the dining room. Baby Chicken Fried really enjoyed the selections of fruit! Which brings me to another point, children are welcome in this buffet even though it is connected to the casino. Other places in Palm Springs do not allow this option.

Prices for Sunday Brunch were $21.95, but with a players club card (which is free) you get the brunch for $16.95. It was a great deal!

In terms of quality the food is right up there with any typical Vegas offerings, this combined with the wide selection, and price, make the Portero Canyon Buffet a step up from the usual buffet.

Morongo Casino Resort & Spa
49500 Seminole Drive
Cabazon, California 92230
800-252-4499 or 888-MORONGO
www.morongocasinoresort.com

Kyoto Sushi- NORTHRIDGE, CALIFORNIA

2007-10-15T10:29:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, you just want to go to a Sushi bar where you can sit down relax, and not be bothered by dressing up for the night. Years ago I used to go to some Sushi bars in the Gardena area. These Sushi bars were not the hip and happening places to be seen, no these were real hole in the wall places where you got some good sushi, good beer. There are still places like this, where you can sit and relax, and not be bothered by pretentious sushi patrons or staff.

One of these places is called Kyoto Sushi and it is located in a strip mall in Northridge surrounded by grocery stores, an LA Fitness, yogurt shops, and sporting goods apparel stores. This is not the type of restaurant that you would find on the strip in Ventura Blvd. by Studio City, nor in Beverly Hills. This sushi bar has a very sports bar type feel, where most of the customers are either local college students, couples, or anybody just looking for some decent sushi.

(Spider Roll)

Last night, the Chicken Fried family after a long drive back to Los Angeles had dinner there. I ordered the Ace Roll which was a Spicy Tuna Roll that was cooked, topped with raw salmon and a spicy mayonnaise sauce, with a sprinkling of crispy tempura flakes. Not expecting much from the restaurant, I was pleasantly surprised by how delicious it was. The Chicken Fried family ordered a salmon roll, which although not the best we've tasted was pretty darn good in it's own right. Mrs. Chicken Fried ordered the Spider Roll, but Mr. Chicken Fried was too full after consuming the majority of the Sushi ordered. Baby Chicken Fried ate the miso soup and loved the tiny tofu chunks in the soup.

(Salmon Roll and Ace Roll)

Was this the best sushi I have ever had? No, but it was decent and completely delicious. Did we enjoy the ambiance? Well we did in the fact that there was no ambiance at all, but brought back those nostalgic college days of sitting at the bar, ordering your sushi and enjoying your beer, and maybe checking what was on the TV by the bar.

Kyoto Sushi also has an All You Can Eat Sushi Deal, but it only is applicable for one hour. This is available at Lunch and Dinner.

If you ever are looking for a dress down place, where you can just sit back and relax and enjoy your food, look no further than Kyoto Sushi in Northridge.

Kyoto Sushi
18531 Devonshire St
Northridge, CA 91324-1308
Phone: (818) 832-1183

Weekend on Larchmont- CALIFORNIA

2007-10-15T09:51:00.000-07:00

Saturday was one of those lazy days where you just don't want to get out of bed. The Mrs. and I had to go to Flicka on Larchmont to pick up a birthday gift, so we decided to have breakfast at Cafe du Village. We'd had dinner there before and were quite please with our steaks and pomme frites. So, we thought it would be a good idea to try the breakfast there.

I had the pancakes, bacon, and sour dough toast. The toast was your basic dry toast. I like that they serve it dry and allow you to add butter to it. Sometimes, I just don't want or need butter on my toast. The bacon was plentiful and quite crispy. I was very pleased with it. My only complaint was that they use a little too much powdered sugar for presentation. The flavor was great, but I was wearing a black sweatshirt and had to dust myself off after breakfast. All in all, it was quite a pleasant breakfast.

The dining room is small, but the food is quite good and very reasonably priced. They have sidewalk seating for nice Spring/Summer evenings.

Cafe du Village is located at:

139 1/2 N Larchmont BlvdLos Angeles, CA 90004-3704Phone: (323) 466-3996

Croatian Pizza- CROATIA

2007-10-11T09:01:00.000-07:00

Every other night, while staying in the teeny-tiny little village of Potočnica, we would venture into the slightly larger town of Novalja for dinner. Every time we did so, we would go to our favorite restaurant there, called "Moby Dick."

This is probably the most popular restaurant in the town, based on the fact that it always seems to be full at dinner time while there are plenty of other restaurants that have lots of open tables. There's a good reason why, too. The pizza.

Moby Dick cooks pizza the way it was meant to be cooked -- in a wood-fired stone oven. The pizza crust is always crispy and their selection of cheeses and toppings is always fresh and delicious. I would swap back & forth between the "Pizza Novalja" and the "Pizza Slavonska." The "Novalja" is topped with a special cheese called "Paški Sir," which is a native cheese of the region and prosciutto. The "Slavonska" is topped with some spicy cured meats and is perfect for those moods when you want meat and you want spice.

They have a large menu of other meal choices. Everything seems to be fresh and tastes great, but no matter how good it is, you seem to regret it if you don't get the pizza.

Bacon Burrito Dog at Pink's- CALIFORNIA

2007-10-06T15:29:00.000-07:00

Today was one of those days that I thought would be perfect for Pink's. I had to go to Golden Apple to pick up a copy of Countdown 30 (since I purchased a second copy of 31 by mistake on Wednesday). I decided to have a late breakfast/early lunch at about 10:30.

By the time I got home, my bacon burrito dog was still warm. I find that it is much easier to eat the burrito with a knife and fork; otherwise, it gets a little too messy. Today's bacon burrito dog was excellent. As usual, I ordered it without the onions and cheese. The flavors bring back memories of my first bacon burrito dog from long ago. The bacon was crisp. The chilli was divine and the hot dog skins crunch when you bite into them. I'm not a fan of Hoffy hot dogs that you buy in a grocery store, but the special Hoffy dogs at Pink's are a treasure to enjoy.

If you live in Los Angeles and have never been to Pink's, shame on you. It is a classic institution that must be experience. If you are planning to visit Los Angeles, make a point to visit this fine hot dog stand; however, be prepared to wait in line. It'll be worth it.

www.pinkshollywood.com

Michael's- SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA

2007-10-05T10:52:00.000-07:00

Finally I have gotten the opportunity to post a belated review on Michael's in Santa Monica. This restaurant has been open since 1979, by Michael McCarty who was classically trained in French cuisine. He originally combined this training with California sensibilities and aesthetic to be a forerunner in California Cuisine.

This restaurant was a surprise on many levels to me. First it was a surprise lunch for my birthday from Mrs. Chicken Fried and Baby Fried. Second upon entering this restaurant, you think to yourself, "Hmmm.. typical decor, maybe a bit 80's." But approaching the back of the restaurant you see that it opens up to a beautiful lush outdoor garden and you are surrounded by the tri-phonic sound of the waterfalls all expertly placed to create an escapist paradise for the diners.

(Image courtesy of Michael's Website)

We began our lunch with a starter of Sashimi of Yellowtail. One bite from this appetizer and the word "Awesome!" sprung to mind. It combined the saltiness of the fish along with the sour of the pickled vegetables, and spiciness of cilantro. It was a refreshing starter that amazed me in the combination of ingredients and simplicity.

I opted for the Michael's Burger, being a burger aficionado, and Mrs. Chicken Fried had the Seared Hanger Steak. My burger was composed of a rib-eye patty, cooked medium-rare, it was topped by applewood bacon, Gruyere, and Stilton Blue Cheese, along with sweet onion. I have to say that all ingredients were perfectly in place and complemented each other. The burger had a wonderful meaty taste, the Blue Cheese was not to overpowering, just the way I like it. If I have any criticisms its that the condiments weren't on the burger but on the side. I noticed something missing, and it was almost toward the end of eating the burger that I noticed that the condiments were sitting right there. I curse myself for not adding the topping earlier in the meal, but I can't complain it was still delicious.

I tried some of Mrs. Chicken Fried's Seared Hanger Steak. It was cut into strips and was so juicy and flavorful, I almost felt a little jealous of my wife's dining choice. The steak was topped with a nice Bordelaise sauce, and was accompanied by some wilted spinach.

Toward the end of the meal we had another surprise. Michael came out and individually greeted all of the guests. He was very friendly and took time to talk to everyone at each table. He complimented us for getting Baby Chicken Fried off to a good start by eating here, and I couldn't agree with him more.

The lunch dining experience was surprise on many levels, I can't wait to return to Michael's in the near future and try out their whole menu. I look forward to seeing what dinner will bring when I go there next. I'd like to thank my wife, Mrs. Chicken Fried for introducing me to this fine restaurant.

Michael's Restaurant
1147 Third Street
Santa Monica, CA 90403
Tel.310.451.0843
www.michaelssantamonica.com

Moim and Noo Na- BROOKLYN, NEW YORK

2007-10-02T15:25:00.001-07:00

Speaking of Korean food, good Korean food, it’s been hard to come in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, where I live. Sure, it’s no problem getting it in Manhattan, where 32nd and 33rdStreets are swimming with some fine joints. But when I moved to my borough a few years ago, Korean cuisine was pretty non-existent. Then, when I moved from nearby Park Slope a couple years back, a restaurant called Noo Na opened less than a block away from my apartment. I was so excited that I tried it out immediately, but the food turned out to be just O-K. Service was kind of slow, and the banchan—the spread of appetizers you usually get before the main dishes— wasn’t as generous as it is in Manhattan or L.A. restaurants. It also didn’t help that the location was far from ideal—just steps away from a noisy, grungy Atlantic Avenue, around the corner from McDonald’s and two doors down from a funeral home. Moreover, there were just a few customers, which does not for a lively eating experience make. Today, the offerings are still pretty limited, maybe even moreso—they no longer serve kim pab and now charge for banchan (r-i-p-o-f-f)—but Thomas and I order takeout regularly from them, our biggest draw being some of the best chicken wings we’ve ever tasted—fried to perfect crispy crustiness and accompanied with a super tasty chili mayo.

Just recently, my mouth started to water again with word of another Korean restaurant opening in my old hood Park Slope. It’s called “Moim,” which means “gathering” in Korean, opened up by a Korean family who have been living in the Slope since 1991. Thomas and I tried it out on Sunday, and we were really impressed. Although it seemed more fusion than the kind of homestyle cooking I love, the overall experience was wonderful—and somehow, a change of pace from other Brooklyn restaurants I’ve been to. Tucked away on the corner of Garfield and 7th Avenue, it boasts exquisite architecture—a sleek wooden façade that makes the Rancho Alegre restaurant right next door an even bigger eyesore.). The vibe continues inside, with welcoming, organic modern décor. Even the bathrooms had rustic, painted walls that were half-covered in whimsical bamboo-shaped tiles. As for the food, some reviewers have complained about the absence of banchan, but at the start of our meal, we did receive a tasty mini-appetizer plate with bits of black bean, kim chee, and delicious morsels of squash covered in white and black sesame. We ordered the chicken wings too, and although they were no comparison to Noo Na’s, I enjoyed the spicy tangy chili coating. It was almost ketchup-like, but a refreshing alternative to traditional buffalo flavor. We also ordered the seafood pancake, which was tasty, but not a generous size. As a main dish, we split the dol sot bibimbap, which came in a black iron pot atop a wooden pedestal. We didn’t get an egg to crack or spicy sauce on the side, but the bowl was hot enough to cook the rice to a nice, tasty crisp. I’d definitely go back to try out some other dishes I’ve read others rave about, like the roasted chicken. Plus, the restaurant’s pretty new, and I have high hopes that it will work out some of the early kinks.

Han Woo Ri Korean BBQ- CALIFORNIA

2007-09-27T15:31:00.000-07:00

Just coming off of my recent review of a tabletop BBQ place, comes my review for Han Woo Ri on Reseda Blvd. in Northridge. This Korean BBQ Restaurant follows the same theme of Table Top Grilling, where you are the chef, and you get a chance to cook your BBQ the way you like it on a grill embedded in your table.

Mrs. Chicken Fried, Baby Chicken Fried and I went here earlier this week for lunch. We ordered the All you can eat menu item which includes all you can eat Beef Brisket, Marinated Beef (Bulgogi), Pork Belly(Samgyeospa), and Marinated Chicken. You also get the typical Korean BBQ side dishes including Kimchee, and other various sides. My only criticism with the choices is that they did not include Galbi or Beef Shortrib in the all you can eat deal.

(Image courtesy of Wikipedia)

Upon sitting down we received a huge serving plate filled with the various meats. Our waitress first prepped our grill by lighting it and coating the top with nice amounts of yummy (not good for you) butter. After that we were on our own, grilling and consuming all the meat. I have to admit that the beef brisket was not too flavorful, but did retain a good meaty flavor to it. This was complimented by some sesame oil and soy sauce with jalapeno on the side. the Bulgogi (Marinated Beef) was very delicious. The Chicken was good. I was not too much of a fan of the pork belly, but had it been smoked like bacon, I think I would have enjoyed it more. All in all, Mrs. Chicken Fried and I were able to finish 2 dishes worth of meat. So how much did this all cost us, around $19 per person. It was a great deal! Plus in the all you can eat, if you don't like a certain meat, you can request them to just bring you the beef, or the chicken or the pork, whatever your heart's desire. Next time we go we will definitely get more of the brisket and marinated beef. Be prepared to come out of the place smelling like BBQ though, as the grills do not have the down-mounted ventilation, but have ventilators which suck it up to the ceiling.

Next time you are around the SFV and are looking for some good Korean BBQ, stop on by Han Woo Ri, you will definitely get your money's worth.

Han Woo Ri is located at:
9711 Reseda Blvd., Northridge.
Phone: (818) 717-0234

Tribute to Burger Stand Week

2007-09-24T13:52:00.000-07:00

Fellow food blogger, Aubrey has some posts dedicated to Burger Stands on his blog at What's to Eat LA. Check it out at the the following link: http://whatstoeatla.blogspot.com/

I'm going to try some of the stands that he recommends by my work.

Fiddler's Bistro- CALIFORNIA

2007-09-23T08:46:00.000-07:00

This little gem of a neighborhood restaurant is the type of place that attracts all kinds of people. All are welcome and fit in quite nicely. You'll see hippies, businessmen, families, and hipsters all enjoying the full menu to the fullest. Whether you are looking for good comfort food or some food that's a bit more esoteric, this might be a place for you.

It has your typical comfort food, but it brings a Mediterranean/Middle Eastern flavor to it. After ordering, they'll bring grilled pita and bread along with this red dipping sauce. I am not a fan of it, but everyone I know seems to love it. My guess is that it has red peppers, olive oil, and spices that are blended/whipped together into this nicely viscous paste. I like the bread with just a little butter.

Last night, I had the burger and fries. I added bacon (they do serve turkey bacon for those from the bizarro world). The fries are to die for. They are coated with a type of breading that contains a mix of herbs and spice. The herbs and spices give the fries a kick that make you want to go back for more. The burger, prepared medium, comes on a delicious roll...not the typical hamburger bun. About the flavor, I cannot say enough. There is an explosion of flavors not typically found in a hamburger. I don't know what they put in their ground beef, but it makes you look forward to the next bite. Plus, the bacon is always crispy without having to order it that way.

One day, I'll post a review of the breakfast. The pancakes are AWESOME!!!

Fiddler's Bistro is located at:

6009 W 3rd StLos Angeles, CA 90036

Check out the menu at www.fiddlersbistro.com

It's located next to the Park Plaza Motor Lodge on the Corner of 3rd and Martel....3 blocks east of The Grove.

Taco Bells' Steak Grilled Taquitos

2007-09-21T14:51:00.000-07:00

Nothing special at all. It's like a steak taco that's been grilled. It was ok, but I wouldn't go out of my way to go buy it.

Penne Chorizo from Cha Cha Cha's- LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

2007-09-21T13:20:00.000-07:00

A few days ago, I had lunch with some of my co-workers at Cha Cha Cha's in Los Angeles. This restaurant can be described as sort of Islandy-Pseudo Carribean restaurant. It is very colorfully decorated in bright colors and the walls are adorned with religious images as well as island type knick knacks. In fact the interior of the restaurant looks like a shack or hut that you might find if you traveled to the Carribean. You get a really eclectic group of clientèle ranging from business people, to new age hippies, to tourists. It might be worth a visit to Cha Cha Cha's just for the atmosphere alone.

I ordered during this visit the Penne Chorizo. This dish had penne pasta covered with a tomato and chorizo based sauce. The sauce was very spicy and I could detect that a strong paprika and curry taste to it. It was very delicious. My only complaint was that the chorizo meat in the sauce was not in chunks but was ground and had more like a mole' like consistency. I would have liked to be able to have pieces of meat in the sauce rather than just a homogenized mixture. Other than that it was a very good dish, that was satisfying yet didn't weigh me down. Afterwards I was left with the meat sauce, and while I had them take it away, I really should have brought it home in a doggie bag to use on some pasta at home. It was pretty good sauce..mmmm..mmmm...

Cha Cha Cha's is located at:
656 N Virgil Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90004
Phone: (323) 664-7723

Vote for your favorite sandwich

2007-09-21T09:47:00.000-07:00

msnbc.com is conducting a poll on America's best sandwich. There are 5 sandwiches to choose from: 1) The muffeletta from New Orleans, 2) Katz's (New York) pastrami sandwich, 3) the Philly cheesesteak, 4) Sam's (California) lobster roll and 5) Frenchy's (Chicago) triple decker.

I must say, they all look good from the pictures. I find it hard to believe anything on the list could beat Brent's Black Pastrami Reuben though -- but you never know. Go vote for your favorite!

A scary dining experiment..- DOWNTOWN LA, CALIFORNIA

2007-09-19T16:53:00.000-07:00

Today for lunch I did something that I normally don't do. I walked over to one of the street vendors who was serving "Dirty Dogs" and ate one. "Dirty Dogs" are hot dogs that are wrapped and fried in bacon. They are served on a bun with grilled onions and pepper on top. This is all covered with a red sauce and some mayonnaise.

The gentleman serving me the "Dirty Dog" was grilling these on a makeshift grill which was a flat piece of metal ontop of a drum. He had the onions and peppers grilling on one side and the dogs on the other side. I wouldn't say that hygiene was the best as evidenced by some serious stains on his hands, but thankfully he used tongs to serve and cook the food.

To be quite honest, it was delicious! I think I will try and make these at home and try to avoid risking myself anymore to food experimentation. It is now 5 hours from when I ate one and I have not suffered any ill effects. I will update you all tonight should my condition worsen.

The closest Bacon Wrapped Hot Dog Stand by my work is on Vermont and Wilshire in Downtown Los Angeles by Koreatown.

Bistro Ka- WOODLAND HILLS, CALIFORNIA

2007-09-15T21:03:00.000-07:00

Are malls now becoming dining destinations? It seems that you can find more upscale type restaurants taking residence at your local mall. Take for instance Bistro Ka in the Westfield Topanga Mall. This restaurant is located away from the main foot traffic, isolated in a small wing.

The decor follows the latest trendy club type atmosphere with minimalist modern decor, separate casual lounge areas for cocktails, light techno music playing in the background, and unique boutique sushi recipes. You will find a wooden radial spoke design on the roof seemingly emnating from sushi bar and extending toward the end of the restaurant. The shapes are random, yet pleasing. The atmosphere is both dark, but surrounded by illuminated shoji screens in the background. There is a glass private dining room which can accommodate about 10-15 of your friends.

But how is the food you may ask? We ordered the a Sashimi platter which had salmon, tuna, red snapper, and some white fish which I couldn't identify. Could the sushi live up to the enthusiastic hype that this restaurant gives off? I can say "Yes" The salmon was buttery smooth, and fresh. None of that fishy smell or taste you may get at chain sushi restaurants. The tuna, while a little bit dense was very good, and so was the snapper which was lightly seared, and delicious. The white fish was excellent as well.

The servers were extremely attentive and friendly. It felt weird going into this restaurant, I kept wondering, "Am I underdressed for this place?" There were well dressed young couples there in the lounge, while deeper in the restaurant was a mix of families, as well as a youngish contingent. I breathed a sigh of relief seeing a young child walk by.. No I wasn't underdressed, but this restaurant could sure make you feel that way just on its looks alone.

It seems that there is more to mall dining than your typical Hot Dog on a Stick and Mrs. Fields. I for one am glad for this trend and look forward to seeing what new restaurant opens in next in the mall.

Bistro Ka is located in the Westfield Topanga Mall, in Woodland Hills, California
Check out their website at www.bistroka.com

Jack In The Box

2007-09-13T13:32:00.001-07:00

Tonygod has requested that I post my meal from last night. So, here goes:

Jumbo Jack plain 1 Large Curly Fries (Much better than their natural cut fries)1 Small mozarella sticks (a little to spicy for my linking)1 Diet Coke

Whatever happened to the Meaty Cheesey Boys? They were the best boy band ever!!!

http://www.meatycheesyboys.com/

L&L Hawaiian Barbecue- HAWAII & CALIFORNIA

2007-09-12T11:51:00.000-07:00

I don't know why I haven't written about L&L sooner, seeing as we usually eat here a few times a month. L&L Hawaiian BBQ is one of many Hawaiian BBQ places that have sprung up in California in the last 2 years. They originated in Hawaii, and now have over 200 locations in other States of the Union. Their specialty is the plate lunch which is comprised of a main entree (meat), servings of rice, and a macaroni salad. We usually get their BBQ Plate Special which is comprised of a serving of BBQ Chicken, BBQ Beef Slices and BBQ Short Ribs, along with 2 servings of rice, and the typical macaroni salad. This is an enormous dish, and usually if I share with Mrs. Chicken Fried we are quite satisfied. The chicken is extremely juicy and has a special soy sauce marinade. The beef slices and short rib are marinaded and quite flavorful, sometimes a tad on the salty side, but still delicious. The 2 servings of plain white steamed rice acts as a buffer for the saltiness of the meat, and the macaroni salad is always a nice dish. With this dish and drinks you can feed two people for less than $10! What a deal!

We will sometimes order the Malasada for desert which is a yeast doughnut hole that is deep fried and sprinkled with sugar. I wish you could order these individually, but they only sell them by the dozen.

My wife is also fond of their Musubi which is described in their menu as: A block of rice with your choice of meat, wrapped in flavored, dry seaweed. Available with spam, Portuguese sausage, chicken katsu, or barbecue chicken. A local favorite! I like to think of it as a SPAM SUSHI.
For just a few bucks you get an extremely large meal. This is one of the best bargains I have seen out there, definitely superior to any 99 cent value meal you would find at a fast food place.

L&L has over 200 locations, check them out at www.hawaiianbarbecue.com

The Country Diner- OHIO

2007-09-10T13:16:00.000-07:00

How can a food and restaurant review site called The Chicken Fried Blog, not have any reviews on Chicken Fried Steak? Well that situation is about to be rectified.

Prior to us leaving Ohio, we decided to get some brunch at local restaurant in Akron, called The Country Diner. Think Denny's with more of a small-town feel and you have a picture for what this restaurant is like. It seems that this restaurant serves as a hub for local community events as we found numerous local college flyers, and even a stand set up for the upcoming local government elections. It is also located less than a mile from the University of Akron, so I figure this would probably be a destination after late night drinking. Like I said it had a very small town feel.

We were seated promptly and I ordered (of course), the Chicken Fried Steak. This was served to me as a large single flattened piece of beef that was lightly breaded and topped (not drenched) in country gravy sauce. The meat was lightly spiced with pepper as was the breading. The breading itself was not too greasy, and had a battered feel to it rather than bread crumbs. The coating was light and crisp. The country gravy was nice and creamy. Served alongside my main meal were hash browns, made out of sliced (not grated) potatoes. This was a very filling meal, however serving sizes are nowhere as large was they are in California. Was this my favorite Chicken Fried Steak? No, I've had a few that were better and a few that were worst. But this was a nice meal, and I left satisfied.

Country Diner, 520 East Market Street, 330.376.9300

Handel's Homemade Ice Cream- OHIO

2007-09-10T12:36:00.000-07:00

Well the Chicken Fried Family is back from a trip to Ohio this weekend. The weather was unusual as it rained and temperatures would fluctuate between 85 Degrees Fahrenheit and 60 Degrees. Driving through downtown Akron, I noticed a shop that featured Homemade Ice Cream since 1945. How could I resist? Here I am in a Mid-Western small town that looked like something out of a movie. I had to try some. (even in the rain). That shop was Handel's Homemade Ice Cream and Yogurt. They are primarily located in the Mid-West, but they actually have a shop in California in the city of Upland.

I ordered a Chocolate Shake, while Mrs. Chicken Fried ordered a Banana Split with a scoop of Raspberry Cheesecake, Vanilla and Pistachio.

My Chocolate Shake was alright, nothing that I haven't had in a shake before. Very sweet with chocolate syrup flavoring throughout. Smooth texture, and easy to sip through a straw. I regretted not getting a chocolate malt, as I feel the malt adds an extra kick to the flavoring. I didn't detect too much creaminess in my shake, but maybe with the malt that would have been rectified. Well this is an Ice Cream shop primarily and not a shake shop.

I tried some of Mrs. Chicken Fried's Banana Split. It was very strange eating the Raspberry Cheesecake Ice Cream, because expecting it to have an ice cream feel, it ended up having REAL CHUNKS of Cheesecake and Graham Cracker Crust in it. Pretty good, I think! At this point I am now freezing because of the rain, so we rush back to the car turn on the heater and finish up our ice cream.

Handel's has over 85 different flavors of ice cream that they specially make in tub freezers that line the store. There are rows and rows of these coffin-like contraptions in the store itself and each are filled with different flavors. You will often see employees navigate through a maze of these tub freezers as they fulfill customer ordres. This is definitely a step up from the usual 51 flavors in a glass display freezer that you usually see in other chains or drugstores.

If you happen to be in the Mid-West try it out and let me know what you think..

www.handelsicecream.com

Wendy's Frosty

2007-09-06T14:01:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but I just love Wendy's Frostys. For years, they only had the chocolate variety which was great. Last year, they started selling the vanilla variety. If I were walking across the Bridge of San Luis Rey and fell to my death, I think my life would be complete. There is nothing like topping off a quick meal with the cool taste of the frosty. Sure, I don't know the exact composition of what goes into a Frosty, but it is ever so yummy. The texture is a little thicker than soft serve

Chicken Tacos

2007-09-05T14:16:00.000-07:00

Last night, Maureen made some tacos with some ground chicken meat. I must say that they had more flavor than turkey tacos. We used Lawry's chicken taco seaoning and had them with flour tortillas. Myself, I prefer corn, but I'm not going to complain if we didn't have corn tortillas.

Am I alone in liking Tacos Mexico!!

2007-08-31T15:13:00.000-07:00

Per Eddiebomber's request here is my review of Taco's Mexico. I write this review with a heavy heart as I feel like I am the only one who likes the Tacos and Burritos at Tacos Mexico.

Tacos Mexico is a chain of fast food authentic Mexican Restaurants that are located in California and Nevada. As you walk into Tacos Mexico, you may notice the red floor tiles and red furniture and the stainless steel counters and fixtures as lacking much of a personality. Theres your typical jukebox and late 90's arcade machines, gumball machines, and sticker dispensing machines featuring Rebelde. But what I come here for is the Carne Asada Tacos and the Carne Asada Burrito. These aren't your usual fast food fare loaded with melted cheese and guacamole. No these are your basic soft tacos and burritos and to me simple is best. The Carne Asada Tacos start with your lightly fried corn tortillas, just barely spending time on the grill. These are filled with grilled steak, onions, cilantro, hot sauce, and...... THAT'S IT... With such a basic Taco, the flavors of the beef really comes through. No it's not your fancy lean cuts of beef, and yes you do get a bit of fat in different bits, but it is delicious.

The Carne Asada Burrito is the same thing, you have a large warm flour tortilla, loaded with grilled steak, onions, cilantro, red sauce, and rice. No there is no gooey cheese to get in the way, nor guacamole, nor nacho chips, or whatever extras you may find in your typical Taco Bell burrito. Again with simplicity comes a great burrito, where the taste of the meat is not overpowered by anything, and all the condiments do is compliment, not overwhelm. What I usually do is order it with less rice and more steak. The steak is not cut into strips, but are actually chopped up coarsely and grilled, and truly flavorful. This is not a messy burrito which leaves you covered in food residue, no it's actually pretty well put together, nothing dripping or falling off except maybe the rice.

As Eddiebomber puts it, "That's street food!" and I don't disagree with him at all on this. But maybe it's okay being alone thinking that street food is great. Prices are pretty reasonable, and you can feed 2 for about $10 (2 Burritos and 1 order of Tacos Asada.)

UPDATE- I'm not alone. It seem John C. Dvorak loves Tacos Mexico. Check it out here:
http://www.dvorak.org/blog/?p=9224

A Request for Chicken Fried

2007-08-31T08:31:00.000-07:00

Please do a review on your favorite taco chain in Los Angeles...Tacos Mexico!!

On the Border's Carne Asada Tacos

2007-08-30T13:54:00.000-07:00

Last night the Chicken Fried Family had dinner at a local Mexican Food Restaurant, On the Border. This restaurant is about on par with others such as El Torito or Acapulco's. The food there is quite good, but not necessarily altogether authentic.

Last night after drinking a few Pacificos, I shared a combo platter with Mrs. Chicken Fried. Baby Chicken Fried ate ice chips, but those were free of charge and she seemed to like them. She didn't seem to comment more on these..

I had the carne asada tacos in a flour tortilla. These were stupendous! I don't usually expect much when it comes to Mexican chain restauarants, but these tacos were really really great! The flour tortilla was freshly made. I saw them make it in the open air kitchen area where the tortillas are pressed and grilled. The tortilla was what really made this taco shine. It was nice and warm. It wasn't the usual cardboard thin tortillas, but was actually quite thick and fluffy. Inside was some grilled marinated steak, and yes you can actually taste the steak. This was then topped off with some Monterey Jack Cheese and some Fried Breaded Onion Strings! Now usually you wouldn't find breaded onion strings in Tacos, but, WOW! It was delicious! In fact just writing about it makes me crave it more!

The rest of the meal was standard Mexican food fare, I also had a fish taco, which was nothing to write home about, along with a Pork tamale and Chili Relleno. This would have normally been an uneventful meal, but those amazing soft tacos sure made it special!

Carl's Jr's $6 Patty Melt

2007-08-30T13:44:00.000-07:00

Today I walked to the only fast food place within a few minutes travel, which is Carl's Jr. They do make great burgers, but I have been pretty bored with their latest offerings. At the counter I noticed that they offered a new burger, the Patty Melt. So I ordered this in their $6 Version.

Here are my comments:

The bread was buttered and grilled on both sides which made it nice and crispy. However I am not a fan of rye, and it had the distinct scent and taste of the rye. It didn't take away much from the burger. The patty itself was the $6 variety so it was much thicker and substantial than the ordinary burger patties they serve. It was juicy and very tasty. The condiments including grilled onions. The grilling of the onions added a nice caramelization to them and brought out their sweet flavor. To round about the burger were two slices of melted cheese. This was a pretty satisfying burger. With most patty melts they sometimes come out too greasy especially with soggy bread, but since Carl's grilled it nicely it was crisp, but not dry. This overall combination made for a good burger. Is it the best burger I've tasted? Nope, but it isn't bad, and is probably better than most fast food burgers out there.

Eddie Bomber's Steak Seasoning/Marinade

2007-08-28T14:40:00.000-07:00

I marinade steaks over night with a little olive oil, Lawry's Seasoning Salt, Lawry's Garlic Salt, and Trader Joe's Sea Salt. Sometimes, I'll toss in some Lawry's Chicken Seasoning just to give it a little citrus kick. Anywho, rub the marinade in and let it sit over night. The amountsof the seasonings depends on how much flavor you like. I'd recommend that you test different amounts until you find the right mix.

Then...Grill on high heat for 4-minutes....Flip it and grill it on high heat for another 4 minutes...that should give you a nice medium steak...check it with a digital thermometer.

Ambrosia

2007-08-28T14:00:00.001-07:00

What in God's name is Ambrosia? I always used to see it at the Circus Circus buffet in Las Vegas, but I was too grossed out to really take a look at it. My other memory of it comes from Edward Scissorhands. The odd housewife who loved Tom Jones and wanted to slap skins with Edward made some for the welcome barbeque and it just looked nasty. If anyone can tell me what it is and why people like it, that would really help me out.

Jack's Back

2007-08-23T16:50:00.000-07:00

I'm back and WOW! I have a lot of catching up to do. Good job to the Chicken Fried posters for keeping the blog going while I was away enjoying sun (and food) in lovely Croatia. I'm still suffering from serious jet lag and I need to get my notes and pictures together, but I will soon start uploading some posts from food across the pond.

Another Angus 1/3 Pound Review

2007-08-23T09:28:00.000-07:00

Hot on the heels of The Chicken Fried Blog's review on Mcdonald's Angus 1/3 Pounder burgers comes this nice review from "A Hamburger Today". Check it out, they have some nice pictures comparing different Mcdonald's Burgers with the Angus 1/3 Pounder.

A HAMBURGER TODAY

Back from our trip

2007-08-21T09:38:00.000-07:00

The Chicken Fried Family is back from their Arizona Trip. It was about 114 Degrees this weekend so we spent most of our time in the pool and imbibing on beer and tequila. We didn't go to any restaurants this weekend, but here is what we did eat:

Spaghetti for dinner with bell peppers, and sausage in a meat sauce.

Steaks hot off the barbecue grill, marinated with some secret marinade mixture. I think it had cocaine in it, because they were addictive.

Salmon and Tuna Sashimi- Buttery smooth, and the very much on par with what you would find at a fancy Sushi Restaurant.

Johnsonville Brats marinated in Beck's Beer overnight, and then grilled and finished off in a pan with sauteed onions and peppers.

Special thanks to our friend Young for hosting this get-together and doing most of the cooking. As one participant put it, "If you keep spoiling us, we won't want to leave.." And we sure didn't want to leave this weekend!

Chicken Fried Family Trip

2007-08-17T09:10:00.000-07:00

The Chicken Fried Family are taking a trip to Arizona tonight. We will try to write about our restaurant and food experiences there when we return on Monday. Hopefully Eddiebomber and Lil Annzo can update everyone on stuff they have eaten lately. Tony & Family are on vacation in Europe. I'm sure he'll have a lot of things to post when he gets back.

Gyu-Kaku, Woodland Hills- CALIFORNIA

2007-08-15T09:33:00.000-07:00

Last night we continued Mrs. Chicken Fried's Birthday Celebration with a dinner at Gyu-Kaku. Gyu-Kaku is a chain of Yakiniku (Grilled Meat) Restaurants that originated in Japan and eventually spread to the United States and beyond. You could describe it as a combination of Korean BBQ Restaurants where you grill your own meat tableside and a Churrascaria with different cuts and types of meat brought out to you. No you won't smell like BBQ after your meal as all the grill have down draft ventilation and virtually no smoke is emitted from the grill.

(Smokeless BBQ Grill at Table)

We ordered the Unlimited Menu where you whenever you ran out of meat to grill, the waiter would bring you a new batch. The meats available for us to grill were Harami Steak (Beef marinated in miso), Sukiyaki Beef (Thin beef strips marinated in Sweet and Spicy Marinade), Chuck Rib Beef marinated in Garlic Sauce, Chicken Breast, Nakaochi Cubed Short Rib (The most flavorful in my opinion!), and shrimp. For $28 a person, for unlimited meat as well as unlimited Salad, Noodles, and Sushi Bar, well it was definitely a bargain!

Gyu-Kaku had a very rustic Japanese minimalist decor combined with a modern clubby vibe. The servers were very friendly, and you could here them yelling a Japanese greeting to customers as the entered or exited the restaurant.

My favorite dish was by far the Nakaochi Cubed Beef Short Rib. The meat was very flavorful and juicy. You could taste the marbling of this meat, and if I didn't load myself up on the salad bar and other meats, I would have just spent the whole night eating this. Some of the thin cut beef not sure if it was the Harami or the Sukiyaki was too salty for my taste, but still delicious. Chicken was well.. just chicken, no big deal there. This is a great place for entertaining large parties or even if you want a nice date place to take someone. There is also a Happy Hour that occurs twice a night.

There are numerous locations in Japan and abroad. We went to one of their newest locations which is located in the Westfield Shopping Center in Woodland Hills. This is definitely a place I will return to again.. I'll just make sure I go on an empty stomach next time.

Go to their website for locations and specials:
www.gyu-kaku.com

Gondola Dinner Cruise at Newport Beach- CALIFORNIA

2007-08-14T11:35:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, I took Mrs. Chicken Fried out for a birthday dinner. I decided to surprise her by taking her out on a Gondola Dinner Cruise around Newport Beach. This was provided and arranged for by Gondola.com.

It was just prior to sunset and we embarked that night for our cruise with myself, Mrs. Chicken Fried and Baby Chicken Fried. We had a catered dinner courtesy of Charthouse of Newport Beach. We started our leisurely cruise around the harbor with a glass of Champagne and a starter of Spinach Salad with warm Bacon Vinagrette dressing. This was actually a very good salad, and was extremely delicious. The sauce was slightly sour and sweet and combined with the bacon (real bacon, not bacon bits) added a nice taste to the spinach.
For our main entree, Mrs. Chicken Fried had the Grilled Salmon with Coconut rice, and spicy corn relish. I had the Chicken in Tomato, Basil and Butter sauce. Both dishes were prepared for us just at the time of boarding our gondola. Both dishes were delicious as I sampled both. Both the chicken and salmon were juicy. These are two dishes that are easily overcooked and dry, but Charthouse did a great job on preparing these for us. We ended our dinner with a dessert of Strawberry Cheesecake and Macadamia & Caramel Cheesecake. Our dinner was excellent. The waters in the harbor were calm and steady, and it was a nice relaxing ride. We spent 2 hours in the harbor and started the cruise prior to sunset, and by the time we docked back at the home port it was already well into the evening. Our gondolier was attentive to our needs and charming. It was truly a memorable birthday dinner.

The Gondola packages include various upgrades and special touches that can be added to your cruise package, such as flowers, or even a special message floating in a bottle next to your gondola during the cruise for your loved one to accidentally find. Gondola.com services locations in California, Texas, Las Vegas, and Florida. Check out their website for more details.

Karl Lagerfeld

2007-08-10T16:16:00.001-07:00

He's Been to Pinks.

Pink's Bacon Burrito Dog- CALIFORNIA

2007-08-10T08:54:00.000-07:00

(ONE OF THE CRAZED LUNATICS IN LINE AT PINK'S)

I count myself lucky for living in California and being able to enjoy a Hot Dog at Pink's whenever I feel like it. Intrepid Northwest Correspondent Tony is not so lucky and every so often when he visits Los Angeles, makes his pilgrimage to Pink's for the sacred and sublime...

BACON BURRITO DOG!! This heavenly creation is composed of two all beef hot dogs wrapped in a tortilla filled with chili, strips of bacon, cheese, and onions. It would be hard to determine whether God had a finer creation than the Bacon Burrito Dog. It has all the major food groups incorporated in a nice handy package. You have your meat group with the Hot Dogs and chili, you have your vegetable group with your onions and partially chili, and you have your bread group with the tortilla. In fact order a Grape Crush, and you have your fruit group included too!

(A partially consumed Bacon Burrito Dog)

I don't know when we discovered this miracle in a tortilla, but it had to have been in late high school to early college. The Bacon Burrito Dog has some variations such as the "3 Dog Night" which instead of 2 hot dogs and 2 slices of bacon, and 2 slice of cheese ups it by making it a 3x3x3. After consuming a Bacon Burrito Dog, I am always satisfied. It often puts me in a coma afterwards and I usually have to take a nap. Just talking about it is making me hungry.. If you are in the area give the Bacon Burrito Dog a try, there is no finer meal that you could have in Los Angeles.

Pink's is located at:
Near the intersection of Melrose Avenue and N. La Brea Boulevard, adjacent to the Northwest corner. The address is 709 N. La Brea Blvd., L.A., CA 90038.

Sizzler's 1/2 Pound Sirloin Burger

2007-08-07T09:29:00.000-07:00

For lunch last week, as there was a Sizzler within walking distance, I tried out their 1/2 Pound Sirloin Burger. It's a steak place after all, so maybe they know a thing or two about burgers.
After settling into the faux leather booth, I started into my burger. Hmmm.. okay the bun is pretty good. Soft, but not huge. The aroma of the burger retained a steaky kind of smell which I always enjoy. The outer crust was seared, maybe a bit too much and the patty itself was well-done. The grind on the burger was a combination of both coarse and fine grind which always has a nice texture. It DID have a steak taste to it, and was sufficiently juicy. The condiments on the burger were mayonnaise, lettuce, onions, and a promptly discarded tomato. The Sizzler 1/2 Sirloin Burger is a pretty good burger. Not the best, but it is pretty decent, with good flavor and juiciness. Its a lot better than your typical fast food burger.

Tri Tip Lunch Special at Woodranch Barbeque

2007-08-02T18:28:00.000-07:00

I went to lunch with a couple of sales guys that were visiting. We went to the Woodranch Barbeque and it was quite a pleasant meal. The waitress asked if we wanted to hear the two step cooking process for their meats and we really weren't interested, so she brought us our drinks and some garlic roll. Regarding the drinks, they are served in giant mason jars...the kind that Mama used to serve drinks in Mama's Family. Regarding the rolls, I'll have to quote Rodney "On the Roq" Bingenheimer, "It's Godhead!" These rolls are light and fluffy and the garlic is embedded on the exterior. My guess is that they glaze the rolls with garlic butter prior to baking them.

Now, I ordered the tri tip special which includes on side order. I could have gone with my standard Ranch Fries, but I went in a different direction and ordered the Black Beans. When my meal arrived, I was quite pleased with both parts of my meal. The tri tip was cooked perfectly. It was pink on the inside. Each bite was a delight unto itself. The tri tip was moist and bursting with flavor. My only complaint would be the barbeque sauce. It's too sweet. The beans were nicely cooked. They were quite firm and the sauce was a little spicy; however, I'd rate these as the best restaurant black beans taht I have ever eaten. They weren't quite as good as the beans my nana used to make, but they were awash with flavor.

Buffalo Burgers V. Turkey Burgers

2007-08-01T18:47:00.000-07:00

I must say that I used to scoff at the idea of eating anything but beef. It was so damn good and I'd burn it to the point where it had a nice crispy crunch. In recent years, I have started to reevaluate all sorts of things and have expanded my menu choices.

Tonight, I had a turkey burger and a buffalo burger. I season both the same way: Lawry's Seasoning Salt, Trader Joe's Sea Salt, Lawry's Garlic Salt, and some freshing shaven parmesan cheese. Cooking them was a breeze. I popped them into the broiler for six minutes and they werer ready to go.

My comments, ground turkey has a strange texture to it. It feels like clay when mixing and it doesn't really congeal all that well. Still, it was quite tasty. The parmesan acted as a nice crust. I'd give it a 3 out of 5 stars on the taste meter. The buffalo reminded me of ground beef; however, there is a very different flavor to it. At first, it was off-putting since I'm used to beef. After my second bite, I realized that the different flavor was quite good. A mon avis, buffalo is a good beef substitute for ground beef. I'd give it a 4 out of 5 stars on the taste meter.

Food Posts

2007-08-01T10:29:00.000-07:00

This evening, I plan to cook my buffalo burger and turkey burger and post my recipe for a good non-beef burger. I guess I've stepped back into the alternate universe of foods.

Samsala in Northridge- CALIFORNIA

2007-08-01T10:18:00.000-07:00

If I didn't give this restaurant a second chance, I wouldn't have been able to find one of my newest favorite restaurant.

Samsala is a Thai, Japanese, Teppanyaki Restaurant. The outside of the restaurant resembles that of a Thai Palace. It has bamboo planters and some modern art type organic fountains in front of the entrance of the restaurant. The inside is decorated in all light wood, with Thai decorations throughout. The layout of the restaurant is unique. It is split into 3 sections. There is a separate dine-in section with an ample number of booths and tables. It is nicely decorated with with Orchids and various Thai Ceramics. There is a Big-Screen LCD TV mounted for all to see.

The second section is a revolving sushi room. This has the standard sushi bar with conveyor belt distributing sushi to the patrons.

The third section is a Teppanyaki Room where you can get Benihana Style Entertainment as a Teppan Chef cook your dinner in front of you.

All of these sections are separate and each have their own unique personalities. It feels like being in 3 different restaurants.

Originally I went to Samsala to try out a new Thai Restaurant. This was shortly after they opened. I really was not thrilled with the food. It was just okay. Fast forward 6 months later. Me and the Missus have a dine-in meal and order at least 6 different kinds of sushi. The specialty sushi they had was amazing! Just thinking about it makes me want to go back and get more. They had a Triple Crunch Sushi which had some Spicy Tuna on top of a fried noodle square, it was excellent! They also have an appetizer called Golden Cups which little fried wontons shaped into a cup with various meat fillings. The Thai food is much improved from when we first dined here, and you can tell that Samsala's Chefs definitely have hit their stride.

The service is excellent and the waiters and waitresses are very attentive. Prices can get pricey especially ordering specialty sushi. This is an excellent place for large parties, as the variety of food can accommodate almost anyone.

I am returning to Samsala probably in the next few days (I just had dinner there last night), and I will definitely try out their other offerings. Maybe the Teppanyaki Room.. I'll report on my next visit real soon..

Simpson's Donuts at 7-11

2007-08-01T10:02:00.001-07:00

I have been seeing these in 7-11 for the past month, and finally decided to break down and try the Simpson's Themed Donut. (Pictures below not the actual donut I ate.) Unfortunately I do not live by one of the 7-11's remodelled as Kwik-E-Marts, so I had to settle for just the standard 7-11.

The Simpson's Donut is a sugar glazed fried donut with pink frosting and sprinkles. The donut that I had was really sweet, but tasty. The only complaint that I have is that the donut was a little bit dense, and soggy. This could be due to the fact I may not have picked it up when it was delivered fresh from the bakery. I may try it again, as I notice that on Monday mornings they had a new shipment come in with fresh donuts.

It's just a standard donut really, but I like the Simpson's Tie-Ins that 7-11 is offering. I just wish every 7-11 was converted to a Kwik-E-Mart as they have exclusive products there that don't seem to be in the standard 7-11.