Al Gore mand's Profile
Pie 'n Burger or Oinkster?
Oinkster, hands down. P&B is: small, expensive, hit & miss servicewise, and while the burger is good, it's not better than Oinkster's. Just be sure to get your fries well done, they tend to under cook them. Oh yeah, Oinkster has beer!
Date night recs for Eagle Rock?
If you decide on Colombo's, you can find a good deal on a gift certificate here: http://www.restaurant.com/index.asp?pgn=home
(I'm not sure what the rule book says about posting links...if it's a no-no, Mods can delete or move!)
Date night recs for Eagle Rock?
The address is in Pasadena but it's just over the border with Eagle Rock. Good food, stiff drinks, live piano, and a romantic setting...sounds like a date night to me!
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Stoney Point Bar & Grill
1460 W Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91105
Gourmet Cupcakes in Burbank
I think this place is fairly new, It has that kind of feel to it (not in a bad way). Just across the street from the Media Center Mall and next door to Subway, you'll find Cupcakes & Co. I went inside and was enthusiastically greeted by the woman behind the counter in addition to 3 others sitting at one of the small tables (family members I think). The young lady behind the counter then described the 8 different flavors on display, these are the few I remember: Red Velvet, Banana Walnut, Fresh Strawberry, Peanut Butter Banana, and Vanilla Creme Brulee. They also advertised custom cakes and offerred coffee and drinks in addition to the cupcakes.
I picked up one each of the Peanut Butter Banana and Vanilla Creme Brulee to go, 2 cupcakes ran me $6.25. I found a quiet spot nearby and commenced to devour both with extreme prejudice. The Peanut Butter Banana was covered in what looked and tasted like crumbled Butterfinger bars and had a dollop of strong peanut butter tasting custard in the middle. The frosting was light and airy, again with a strong peanut butter flavor. The cake itself was good but I could barely taste the banana due to the overpowering peanut butter flavors, on a scale of 10, I'd give it a 6.5. The Vanilla Creme Brulee on the other hand was wonderful. The frosting was again light and airy and had a fresh whipped cream flavor with just enough vanilla to accent the cake without overpowering it. The cake was moist and fresh. This time the filling was a dollop of creme brulee custard that melded perfectly with the cake and frosting, I would definitely get this again, on my 10 scale this gets a 9.
The address is: 130 East Magnolia Ave.,Burbank (818) 843-2340
Website: www.cupcakesnco.com
I think they're still working on the site, none of the sub-headings worked for me.
Mac & Cheese
Best I've had is at Granville in Burbank. Uptown Mac & Cheese. Description from their menu: Aged Cheddar and Gruyere Cheeses with Herbed All-Natural Chicken, Roasted Asparagus, Sweet Peas and topped with Buttered Herb Crumbs.- $12.95
I don't know how, but it all works! I haven't tried their traditional mac& cheese but the uptown is great.
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Granville Cafe
121 N San Fernando Blvd, Burbank, CA 91502
Tired of the Dish in La Canada......
KQ,
I haven't tried either one but a quick search of past posts seemed to give both places a thumbs up. I'm going to have to give Divina Cucina a try, I have plenty of good Mexican places nearby but I'm always on the lookout for a good Italian restaurant.
Tired of the Dish in La Canada......
Good middle eastern just over the hill in La Crescenta:
Olive Branch
3658 Foothill Bl.,
La Crescenta (818) 248-9876
Best Margarita in Los Angeles?
I"ve never tried El Conquistador, but the potency sounds very similar to the Cadillac Margarita served at El Portal in Pasadena, two of those and it's "good night Irene!"
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El Portal
695 E Green St, Pasadena, CA 91101
Lunch spots in Burbank
Great Pan-Seared Ahi Tuna sandwich or Caprese sandwich at Granville. The Rib Eye sandwich is good also...I haven't tried any of their salads but they look good!
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Granville Cafe
121 N San Fernando Blvd, Burbank, CA 91502
Quick Meal on a Weeknight in Pasadena
Try Sahara on Colorado Blvd. The appetizers are great, especially the kubideh and sarma. The lentil soup is simple and satisfying. The kabobs are grilled to order over wood/charcoal flames and served with a generous portion of rice pilaf, grilled pepper, tomato and plenty of pita bread. Family run and very reasonable prices.
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Sahara Restaurant
2226 E Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91107
Meatball Sandwich
How is the eggplant parmesan prepared at Tony's? I must admit that as much as I enjoy a good eggplant parmesan, the eggplant itself is basically just a vehicle for the egg mixture, fried breadcrumbs, sauce and cheese. I like a nice thin slice of eggplant well coated in breadcrumbs and fried crispy, the big thick chunks of uncoated eggplant doesn't do it for me, even the thinly sliced and grilled eggplant a'la Market City Cafe comes in a distant second to the breaded, fried variety.
Meatball Sandwich
I searched the archives and not only is the last meatball sandwich post over two years old, it failed to mention what I think is one of the best in the L.A. area.
Now, before I mention the location of this wonderful sandwich, let me preface a bit...the parking sux, the service is less than stellar and the crowds are often out of control but if you're willing to deal with all of that, you will be treated to a fresh, crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside roll, several (meatball in every bite!), homemade spiced and cooked just right meatballs, gooey, chewy melted cheese (not sure if it's provolone or mozzarella), all covered in a delicious sauce that your taste buds will confirm has simmered on the stove for several hours instead of just poured out of a jar.
This sandwich of the gods can be ordered with roasted peppers and onions, but my advice is to try it without the first time to fully appreciate the subtleties contained within. Where can this delectable treat be found? I'm glad you asked, it's none other than Casa Bianca, that's right, the Casa Bianca of pizza fame and infamy also makes a magnificent meatball sandwich that somehow gets overlooked in the pizza frenzy. The ONLY thing better at Casa B is the eggplant parmesean sandwich, but that's the subject of another post.
So there it is Chowhounds, my pick of the best meatball sandwich currently served. What's yours?
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Casa Bianca Pizza Pie
1650 Colorado Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90041
Best Thin Pancakes in Los Angeles
Try the thin pancakes at The Hamlet (formerly H/H), during weeekend brunch. Not true swedish pancakes (not enough egg), but thin and tasty. Add a side of "Those Potatoes" and you're in carb heaven.
Does Pie N Burger have BIG slices of pie or SMALL?
The funny thing is, you'll probably end up going back. As you can tell from my above post, I'm not real impressed with the place, but the burgers seem to have a secret ingredient that draws you back despite your better judgement. Besides, 10,000,000 Caltech students can't all be wrong!
Does Pie N Burger have BIG slices of pie or SMALL?
I've been several times and had various types of pies; apple, pecan, peach, berry. The choices vary from visit to visit and they often run out of popular flavors early in the day. The size also seems to vary depending on the wait person serving it. I've never been overly impressed with the size of the slice and although the quality has been good overall, the prices are way too steep for what you get, not only the pies but the burgers as well, and we won't even talk about the lack of seating/parking/service.
South Pasadena?
Another vote for Briganti. I recently had the salmon and it was wonderful! Fresh, moist and cooked just right. The sauteed spinach was great and my only complaint about the broiled potatoes was that there weren't enough of them. The Montepulciano wine was good, but a little overpriced IMO.
Lebanese Kitchen Pasadena
Went there last week and I sadly have to agree with your review. The place was completly empty at 6:30pm on a Friday night, so that should have given me some idea of what was to come, however having read such great reviews here, we gave it a try.
The bored young lady sitting in the back didn't get up and seat us until we were inside and I asked, "You are open, aren't you?" The entire time we were there, she said maybe half a dozen words to us, mostly about our order. The food was lackluster and oversalty as mcmal pointed out, we had the looleh kabob and the lamb kabob along with some hummus and the feta cheese plate, all were mediocre at best.
Sahara on Colorado is much better, both in food quality and service.
Calling Casa Bianca in Eagle Rock
I'm glad to hear that you had a pleasant experience at Casa B, but having lived in Eagle Rock and frequenting Casa Bianca for the last 20 years, I stick to my statement about bad service.
Now don't get me wrong, I will continue to eat there because the food is THAT good, but my experience has been 50/50 on OK service vs. bad service and to me that qualifies as BAD and this goes back to well before it was "discovered".
The majority of employees are high school/college kids or family/family friends who can get away with being rude.
How do you IN-N-OUT?
Fries covered in melted cheese and grilled onions, usually served with a side of spread.
How do you IN-N-OUT?
Burger animal style w/no lettuce, well done fries and chocolate shake.
Also, I don't know if this is a well known fact or not, but if you come through the drive-thru with your own mug, coffee is free.
Calling Casa Bianca in Eagle Rock
Casa Bianca has got to be the worst restaurant ever...just ask any of the throngs of people waiting to get in. No parking, rude service, long waits, too noisy, cash only. Damn their eggplant parmagiana and pizza! If the food wasn't so good it would have been turned into a dry cleaners long ago.
What happened to that ???
Carnation Breakfast Bars. They were dry, dense, and probably loaded with preservatives but boy were they delicious! Vanilla was my favorite. I've written to Nestle Inc. asking them to bring them back (they now own Carnation), but I never got a reply...
Looking for good bread Highland Park area
I second the Eagle Rock Italian Bakery suggestion, but get there early, when they run out that's it, they don't make anymore and they do run out. FYI, they close at 1:00pm on Sundays.
Burbank Lasher's Steakhouse is Open...Anyone Tried it Yet?
It's in the Cusumano building at Olive Ave. & Third St. It looks nice inside and has a player piano in the bar area. I haven't had a chance to try it yet, but the prices look steep! $39 for a 10oz. filet and $29 for Ahi Tuna.
Hoagies/Subs/Sandwiches
Eagle Rock Italian Bakery on Colorado Blvd.
The sandwich rolls are baked there and are crusty outside, light and airy inside. The cold cuts/cheeses are high quality and the cold case holds lots of great stuff like marinated mushrooms, artichoke hearts and all the usual salads. The wait can get a little long during the lunch hour (15 min.or so), but it's worth it.
Mere Mortals' Ultimate LA Restaurants 2006
1. Casa Bianca
2. Liliana's Tamales (1st & Indiana)
3. Sahara
4. Briganti
5. Langers
New to Pasadena
No tricks, the pizza is awful. I've been twice (I thought maybe the first time they just had a bad night), and was served a luke warm, gummy crusted mess that tasted like leftovers from the happy hour appetizer bar!
Looking for something soup-y in the La Canada/Pasadena/Glendale area
Another vote for Granville. The split pea soup was wonderful! Thick, rich and delicious. I would prefer ham to the linguica, but even so it was classic comfort food.
Your favorite simple, yet AWESOME, dish at an LA eatery?
Chicken fingers w/ranch @ Red Robin
Go-Go taquitos @ 7-11
Chicken Bake Sandwich @ Costco
Big Mac @ McDonalds
