Johnny Pastrami's Profile
Elisir : Water Surcharge -- seriously
Border Grill at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas is now charging a $0.50/person "water fee". This charge is not disclosed on the menu.
Broguiere's Nog Sightings?
Broguiere's egg nog is in stock at Pavilion's in Hollywood for $7.49/bottle.
Hollywood Pies - FINALLY some decent Chicago Pizza in LA
After moving here from Chicago 20 years ago, and being disappointed with every single 'Chicago-style' pizza joint that has come and gone in that time, we have a winner in Hollywood Pies. I ordered a large Bugsy ($24) & a small Spinach ($11) from them a while back and was completely satisfied. Everything from the crust, cheese, meat and sauce was authentic and delicious. The spinach had a very fresh taste. Two pies were required for free delivery. I now see that you can get free delivery with one large or two small pies. At last, LA has Chicago pizza that is as good as my own. This is going to be very bad for my waistline...
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Hollywood Pies
385 N La Cienega Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90048
Vinny's Philly's in Hollywood
In the strip mall at the SW corner of Fountain/Vine (M Bar, Doomie's Vegan, Crispy Crust, etc.) I saw a 'Now Open' sign for Vinny's Philly's and stopped by for what I was hoping would be a Philly Cheesesteak. Inside, it's newly painted and very clean with fancy plastic furniture. $7.50 got me a pretty decent-tasting beef sangwich with Provolone, grilled onions & green peppers on approx. 8" roll. It was slathered with a tangy special sauce. The amount of beef was pretty skimpy however, and sliced about 1/8" thick as opposed to wafer-thin shavings chopped up and piled high. Other choices of cheese are American and Swiss. No Cheez Wiz? The kid behind the counter never even heard of it... Oh, well. The rest of the menu is pretty limited with chicken, veggie & grilled cheese options. Sodas & waters in a self-serve fridge and baskets of single-serving sized chips. Doubt I'll be back.
Dark & Romantic Hollywood
Cafe Des Artistes
1534 N McCadden Pl
Hollywood, CA 90028
(323) 469-7300
This is the place for that type of ambiance. Food is pretty good, not exactly chow-ish, though.
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Cafe Des Artistes
1534 N. McCadden Pl., Hollywood, CA 90028
Danish 'Aalborg Jubilaeums Akvavit' in SoCal?
Hello Hounds,
I have been unable to locate 'Aalborg Jubilaeums Akvavit' in SoCal. The Aalborg sold in the green bottle is a lesser quality product. I'm searching for the clear bottle with amber colored liquor. Thanks in advance.
New Hollywood casual restaurant alert-Juicy Burger
They should change the name to Dry Burger. lil mikey ordered his cooked medium and had a slight pink center? That would have been great. I ordered my 1/3 lb. burger med. rare and couldn't find any pink at all. Cheddar, mustard, ketchup, lettuce, tomato, red onions & pickles on the fresh bun. Very disappointing. And I'm sick of these places charging extra for 'premium' condiments: buttermilk ranch--gimme a break! Back to In & Out...
Are You a Fan of the Pug Burger at Hungry Cat?
The pug burger is a wonderfully flavorful burger. My only complaint would be the size. It is one of the most vertical burgers I have tried to put in my mouth. But once you take a bite, you'll be a fan.
I can't imagine how much more messy it would be w/ an egg... But I might have to try it now.
Mr. Beef of Chicago - Venice boardwalk
While strolling the Venice boardwalk late last month, I spotted a Mr. Beef stand. Being from Chicago, I inquired to the attendant if this was the same Mr. Beef from back home. It is! For the uninitiated, Mr. Beef in Chicago has consistently been ranked at the top of many "Best Italian Beef" lists. Well, I ordered one up and while being very good, it seemed to be lacking some of the flavor that I remember. The guy told me that they ship the beef in from Chicago and they hadn't officially had their grand opening yet. Regardless, I will go back and try again. Hopefully they will get the kinks worked out. It would be great to have a top-notch food shack on the boardwalk. I already make monthly treks to OC for Portillo's Italian Beef. With traffic and parking hassles in Venice, it may just take as much time to schlep down behind the Orange Curtain.
The Mr. Beef Italian Beef sandwich runs $6.99 and I think it was about 6". Whereas Portillo's Big Beef is $6.59 and maybe twice the size.
Any other Chicago ex-pats sampled Mr. Beef in Venice? How did you find the taste, compared with the original location?
Looking for Italian beef
Completely agree, monku. Taste Chicago is disappointing at best. I make monthly treks down to Portillo's Buena Park from Hollywood for my Italian Beef fix.
Food / Drink related clothing
Fun thread.
I had a pair of Tabasco boxers.
The rest are t-shirts:
Hot Dicken Cider (picture of steaming kettle and apples)
Schwetty Weiners: Bigger is Better (picture of a dachshund)
Spam.
Powered by Pancakes.
Who wants an Orange Whip? Orange Whip? Orange Whip? Three Orange Whips. (John Candy's classic line from The Blues Brothers)
You had Me at Jell-O, but it was the Wrestling Part That Sealed the Deal.
Fish and Chips (Ponch and John riding giant goldfish)
I'll have a bloody mary, a steak sandwich and a steak sandwich. (Chevy Chase in Fletch)
Coffee is For Closers. (Alec Baldwin in Glengary Glen Ross)
Tiger Beer (Vietnam)
Food: The Playlist
Last year I sat down and created a 'Foodie' playlist on my ipod:
5-Piece Chicken Dinner - Beastie Boys
Chocolate Pope - Electric Six
Tatum O'Tot And The Fried Vegetables - Redd Kross
Cups And Cakes - Spinal Tap
Chicken - The Cramps
Watermelon Man - Arthur Lyman
Back to the Sauce - Puffball
(Do The) Mashed Potatoes, Pt. 1 - James Brown
Lollipop - The Chordettes
Apples, Peaches, Bananas & Pears - The Monkees
Chocolate Buttermilk - Kool & The Gang
Punky's Dilemma - Simon And Garfunkel
Days Of Wine And Roses - Frank Sinatra
Soul Sauce (Guacha Guaro) - Cal Tjader
Ribs And Hot Sauce - Lionel Hampton & His Sextet
Banana Split For My Baby - Louis Prima
Rat Salad - Black Sabbath
You Put Your Chocolate in My Peanut Butter - NOFX
Mashed Potato Time - Dee Dee Sharp
My Sweet Potato - Booker T And The Mgs
Salad Days - Minor Threat
Sugar, Sugar - The Archies
Rotten Egg - Gas Huffer
My Girl Lollipop - Bad Manners
Macarthur Park - Frank Sinatra
Starfish And Coffee - Prince
Green Onions - Booker T & The MGs
Chocolate Shake - Duke Ellington
Lemon Tree -Trini Lopez
Jambalaya (On The Bayou) - Hank Williams
Hot Barbecue - Brother Jack McDuff
Egg Man - Beastie Boys
Everytime I Eat Vegetables It Makes Me Think Of You - Ramones
Scarborough Fair/Canticle - Simon & Garfunkel
Salt Peanuts - Charlie Parker
Custard Pie - Led Zeppelin
Birthday Cake - Cibo Matto
Drinkin' Wine, Spo-Dee-O-Dee - Hampton, Lionel & His Orchestra (w/ Sonny Parker)
Honey Bee - Muddy Waters
Bar-B-Q - ZZ TOP
I Eat Cannibals - Toto Coelo
Nobody In Town Can Bake A Sweet Jelly Roll Like Mine - Bessie Smith
A Taste Of Honey - Jackie Gleason
Finger Lickin' Good - The Beastie Boys
Candyman - Siouxsie And The Banshees
Soda Pop - G. Love & Special Sauce
Coconut Night - We Are Wolves
Chocolate Chip - Isaac Hayes
Quiche Lorraine - The B-52's
Pulling Mussels (From The Shell) - Squeeze
8 Piece Box - Southern Culture On The Skids
Peaches - The Stranglers
Tangerine - Jimmy Dorsey & his Orchestra / Led Zeppelin
Closer To The Bone - Louis Prima
Bread And Butter - Waitresses
Soup is Good Food - Dead Kennedys
Candy - Iggy Pop & Kate Pierson
Angelina - Zooma Zooma (Medley) Louis Prima
Fried Chicken And Gasoline - Southern Culture On The Skids
Know Your Chicken - Cibo Matto
Rock & Roll Stew - Traffic
Eat That Chicken - Charles Mingus
Peaches & Cream - Beck
Polk Salad Annie - Elvis Presley
White Pepper Ice Cream - Cibo Matto
Black Coffee In Bed - Squeeze
La fox (funghi mix) - Deep fried chicken - Babasonicos
Scenes From An Italian Restaurant - Billy Joel
It's almost 4 hours of music. I'll throw this on when cooking some big (non-Italian) Sunday feast. Italian feasts are strictly Sinatra, baby!
Best food finds at Costco? [old]
Here's some favorites from my regular shopping list:
NY Strip Steaks USDA Choice: usually very well marbled and a good value
Bulk ground beef: 6 lbs. that I separate into 1 lb. chunks and freeze in foil
Sweet Italian Sausage: same as ground beef.
Valbresso French Feta: very creamy
Tilamook Sharp Cheddar Cheese: they have recently replaced the 2 lb. w/ 2.5 lb.--AUGH!
Sliced Roast Beef
Butterball Sliced Turkey
Hebrew National Hot Dogs
Now for the bad:
Bill Bailey's (?) Marinated Tri-Tip: way too salty
Ming's potstickers: taste good, incredibly high in calories
Products at Costco always seems to get bigger and bigger. It used to be two jumbo bottles of ketchup, now it's three! I dislike having to buy so much. And I third the irritation of enjoying a product that gets discontinued... But that rant should be saved for another thread.
Portillos ChIcAgO HoT DoGs
I love Portillo's! It was always assumed that the hot dog was Vienna Beef, I'm surprised it's not. Growing up in Chicago, I took the food for granted until I moved to LA. Now that Portillo's has opened in OC, I try to make a monthly trek for my Chicago fix. It takes about a half hour to drive down on a Sat. night from Hollywood. There usually isn't a line after 9 PM.
As big of a fan as I am of the hot dogs (love the atomic relish), I must admit that the Italian Beef 'sangwiches' have a flavor that is heavenly. I order it dipped and the bread stays perfectly intact. I believe they import the bread from Turano Baking Co. in Berwyn.
Where to take visitors from Indiana?
I have friends from the midwest that probably wouldn't like anything a Chow would recommend. So with that (and I know I sound like a food snob), take them to a place they will be familiar with: Applebee's, Outback Steakhouse, Sizzler, etc. I've been in your shoes and you can't win with these type of people. They don't want good food, they want familiar food. It's the same reason there are lines outside of an Olive Garden in Manhattan, even though there are a hundred great Italian joints, they want something they know.
Moving to Hollywood Sunday - Where will I shop?
I will second Jon's at La Brea/Fountain.
The Ralph's across the street is OK, but I prefer the riff-raff at Rock 'n Roll Ralph's.
Trader Joe's (7304 Santa Monica Blvd.)
Whole Foods at Santa Monica/Fairfax.
Canter's bakery on Fairfax/N. of Beverly.
The Sunday Farmer's Market is good for food and people watching. Don't pass up the Belzian bread stall. He is a scientist when it comes to baking. The Korean joint makes a mean seafood pancake.
Arax Bakery
4871 Santa Monica Blvd
They make a small Armenian pizza-like concoction called lamajune (see photo). Buy 'em by the dozen and heat in oven for a few minutes before serving.
C & K Importing
2771 W Pico Blvd
Not exactly walkable from Hollywood, but they sell fantastic Greek food: Feta cheese, olives, pita, Tzatziki, Taramosalada, Galataboureko, Retsina, etc. They have a fine butcher counter, too. One side of the place has a small kitchen that serves up quick souvlaki plates, etc. The other side is a sit down that is supposed to have pretty decent dinners.
Welcome to the neighborhood...
adding preservatives to "fresh" margaritas
Not knowing where to get consumer based preservatives, I would recommend that you purchase an extreme heat cooler. Ice will last for up to 5 days in 100+ degree heat. I've seen big ones that should hold several gallon jugs plus ice sold at Target, Costco, etc. And if you're going to the desert for a week without power, you should probably get more than one.
Any Chowish spots in Burbank?
There's a great old-school Italian joint in Burbank: Tony's Bella Vista Ristorante. Not OC upscale, think Rat Pack upscale. Great food. 3116 W Magnolia Blvd.
searching for best Monte Cristo sandwich in L.A.
The Monte Cristo at HMS Bounty on Wilshire is wonderful.
A Wonderful Bit of Paris in L.A.: Anisette Brasserie (Dinner, Brunch & Breakfast) [Review] w/ Pics!
I had a late lunch there last week that was memorable. My friends and I split an order of oysters which were very tender and delicious. I had the onion soup (superb) and Nicoise salad (good). We spent a leisurely (European-style) couple of hours on this meal and enjoyed the impeccable service. However, my dining companion's steak came with a sauce that was Americanized (too sweet). The Anisette cocktail is similar to a mojito and recommended.
Best burger and beer in LA? (PJ Clark's in LA)
Not knowing what PJ Clark's atmosphere is like, I will recommend Ye Rustic Inn's Myrtle Burger. Great tasting burger, lots of beers on tap, but hipster-a-go-go all the way. Never been to Father's Office to compare the doochiness factor.
Egg White Omelet Technique
SilverlakeGirl,
I too have tried the 3 egg white omelet with little success. Then I tried it with 3 eggs and only 1 yolk. I mix well with a fork in a pint glass. Lightly spray with Pam. Cooks the same as my regular omelets, but healthier. I'm going to try your method for all whites. Can the size of the mixing device really be a factor?
dumb restaurant names [Moved from Ontario Board]
Los Angeles is Land of the Bad Restaurants with Stupid Names:
Ketchup
Grub
Toast
Cut (actually good food)
Charcoal
Krust (nice touch with the spelling, jerk!)
Piknic (do we see a one word trend?)
Flying Leap Cafe
Main Course
Out To Lunch
Oinkster (also good)
Meltdown
Eat Well
Earth Wind & Flour
Spin Rotisserie
Wacky Wok
Lettuce Wok & Roll
Rok The Wok
Wok & Roll
Wok On The Run
Wok'n Sushi
Wok This Way (the Woks should have it's own thread)
Giggles 'N' Hugs
The Munch Box
It's a Wrap
Souper Salad
Pickup Stix
Pomona Valley Mining Co.
Steer N' Stein (Palmdale)
Applebee's
Bourbon Tips
Maker's Mark Manhattans are a Friday night ritual for me (along with grilled NY Strip Steak and creamed spinach).
I like Bulleit Bourbon with just a splash of water.
At the Taddich Grill in SF, the bartender made a Derby for me with Old Grand-Dad. It won me over so much I bought a bottle ($8!)
After hearing nothing but good things about Woodford Reserve several years ago, I tried it but... meh. I prefer good taste, not hype.
Cocktails with egg in them....
Second the Ramos Fizz...
I had a pretty swell one at Musso & Frank's on Hollywood Blvd. a couple months ago.
Is there a GREAT Bloody Mary Mix ???
The bar in the Southwest terminal at LAX combines half bloody mary mix & half Clamato as it's base. I was alarmed when I saw this, but the bartender told me if I didn't like it he would make another without the Clamato. He was right. Good stuff.
My recipe:
vodka
Campbell's tomato juice
10 heavy shakes of Tabasco
dollop of Worcestershire
salt
fresh ground pepper
Go Cubs!
Is there a GREAT Bloody Mary Mix ???
I would like to try the pickle juice secret. 1 oz. in a 16 oz. cocktail sounds like a lot, though.
Is there a GREAT Bloody Mary Mix ???
bryan,
I currently use Campbell's regular tomato juice and am interested in the taste difference of the organic. Being organic also sounds more expensive. Is it that much more?
I will have to disagree on the vodka being ice cold for any cocktail. Ice cold alcohol has a thicker consistency that prevents it from properly mixing with the mixer.
How long do unopened bottles of hard liquor/liquers stay drinkable for? And opened?
I have quite a large selection of various alcohols--mostly opened. I am concerned that the extreme heat in my place during the summer months will render all that booze useless. There's half a bottle of Remy Martin XO ($100) that's been sitting for years. I consume a snifter occasionally and haven't noticed any ill taste, but maybe I should try a glass at a hotel bar to compare.
KurtG, your friend finishes a bottle of tequila in one sitting? Unless I had some help or was going on some 'lost weekend' bender, I don't think that would be possible. I enjoy an occasional shot of really good sippin' tequila. Should I just buy the little airplane bottles from now on?
Best Ice for Cocktails
I like to freeze tonic water that has gone flat in my ice cube trays and use the cubes in vodka tonics. It's not clear, but they don't water the drink down when they melt.
