moochia's Profile
Bagel Dogs! Help!
The Husband's birthday will soon be here. He's been craving bagel dogs since Costco stopped carrying them years ago. Are there any to be had in the So. Cal. area? Or does anyone know of a company that will ship them in? The Husband is a simple man who needs little to make him happy. Bagel dogs would do it. Can anyone help?
Fresh & Easy - New Van Nuys Location
As anyone familiar with Van Nuys willl tell you, this burb is usually not the go-to spot for anything remotely interesting or unique...unless you're in need of a good marble and tile store, in which case, even there, I think North Hollywood has us beat. So color me surprised to find a Fresh and Easy opening up on Sepulveda and Vanowen. It's housed in what used to be the most depressing, sullen, gloomy, and miserable Ralphs known to all of mankind. This is, most decidedly, an improvement. Also, it is an area very much in need of a decent, local grocery store, and, judging by today's grand opening, that need has been met.
The fare is what I expected from what I've read here and elsewhere. There are plenty of pre-made meals, and most of them looked quite appetizing. The Husband sampled the meatloaf and mashed potatoes tonight, and gave it a thumbs up. Interestingly enough, he felt the need to add a sprinkle of salt...salt being the one thing that is usually not lacking from store-bought meals.
We'll see how the turkey dinner goes tomorrow. It does look tasty.
I appreciated the layout of the store, especially the shelves that are less than six feet high, giving the admittedly small space a larger feel. Of course, it was packed today since it was the opening, but even then I was able to negotiate the aisles fairly easily. The meats looked quite good, and I was impressed as well by the bakery, pastries, and dessert selection. I know that some have made an issue out of the fact that the produce (bananas being the exception) is all prepackaged. I suppose if you only need one tomato or one potato, this would be a drawback. But I found that the selection was very fresh and in non-Costco sizes. For instance, I really only needed one beefsteak tomato, but, for the price, I was happy to buy two. I'll find something to do with the other one. Pre-packed fresh herbs are generously proportioned and quite reasonably priced.
There was a plethora of staff, and they were all friendly. Of course, this was the first day. Will they remain happy campers? Time will tell. The self-checkput was a cinch, and quite speedy.
There's no wine or beer at this location yet, and apparently some neighborhood committees want to keep it that way. Again, time will tell. Selection on some items was rather low. I, for instance, would have been happy to see a better choice in pasta, but I can easily get by on what was there.
I can say this with all certainty. The peach-apricot bar cookies are INSANELY good.
Oh, and the parking? Not perfect, but a lot better than any TJs I've been too.
Best Coffee Cake in LA?
I blush to disclose that I am partial to the coffee cake at Costco. $6.99 for 2 3/4 pounds of buttery goodness. Nuke a slice for thirty seconds and you're good to go.
Where to buy TAB soda in LA?
Certain Ralphs stores in the Valley usually carry it, but your best bet is Smart and Final. The North Hollywood location usually has stacks of it. Leave some for me, though.
Tamales in the SFV
The best tamales I ever had were sold by an tiny ancient Hispanic woman out on the streets near my work in LA. She disappeared years ago, much to my despair. I still get misty thinking about her cheese tamales. *sigh* Anyway, does anyone have a recommendation for good...nay, superb tamales in the SFV (especially in the Van Nuys/Sherman Oaks/Encino area)? A retail establishment is fine, although, if you've seen my little friend hawking her wares on Ventura Boulevard...
How sorry is The Stand? They are, even though they're not.
We just got back from there a couple of hours ago, and...Yum! It was delish! Great spicey Polish sausage. I'm glad I posted my rant about The Stand here, if for no other reason that it steered me toward the Weiner Factory.
How sorry is The Stand? They are, even though they're not.
I actually did this earlier last evening, sending Mr. Wishengrad an email, and was surprised to receive a response about a half an hour later. That was impressive and appreciated.
How sorry is The Stand? They are, even though they're not.
We didn't say we wanted our desert delivered later...it was the woman who took our order who proposed that. And, again, all problems would have been forgiven if someone on the staff (especially the manager) would have simply taken responsibility for the problems and not blamed my husband when he just asked for what he had ordered. Bad service happens, and I'm more than willing to cut some slack...Lord knows I've done it a lot in the past...But when all you're handed is lousy excuses and when the staff actually tries to blame the customer and then claims it's all part of their "shtict," well, then I draw the line.
How sorry is The Stand? They are, even though they're not.
Ah, if you read what I wrote a little more carefully, you'd see that I was NOT complaining about the wait...I was complaining about the attitude of the employees and manager. In addition, it would have appeared that we would have waited FOREVER if we had not spoken up...spoken up and then been chastised, as if not getting our order was our fault.
I know it's a hot dog stand, but, face it, it fancies itself as an upscale hot dog stand. Whatever, should I expect terrible service because of the food that's served? Sorry, but I don't think so.
How sorry is The Stand? They are, even though they're not.
Right upfront, I'll admit that I'm not expecting five-star service at a place like The Stand in Encino. That being said, It's been a long time since I've experience such disagreeable apathy on the part of both staff and management that I've felt a need to vent here.
After placing our order with a fairly disinterested counterperson, The Husband and I waited for our food on the patio. It came quickly enough, although I received the wrong order. I ate it anyway since (a) I was hungry, (b) it looked edible, and (c) it was unclear if I'd ever see a member of the waitstaff again before nightfall.
The bigger problem came with desert, an apple cobbler we had requested when we made our initial order. When queried, we asked for it to be served in 15 minutes. 15 minutes came, then 20, still no desert. With no waitstaff in sight, my mate went back in to inquire. Instead of a simple apology, he got the blame by one of the cooks who said, "You didn't tell us when you wanted it." That, in itself was untrue. Moreover, it seemed the matter was then to be dropped...nothing else was said, and there was no indication if we were ever to receive the food we had already paid for. Finally, a semi-sympathetic waitress who had observed the exchange said she's bring our dessert out to us.
She did, and then asked if everything was ok, now. I told her that, no, it really wasn't...I had received the wrong order and, in addition, it would appear that the establishment was blaming US for the fact that we hadn't received the rest of the order. Again, there was no apology. Instead, the waitress bemoaned the fact that the cooks treat EVERYBODY that way...even her. "When I order a hot dog for my lunch, they give me all kinds of grief," she related, "They always do that!"
Well, good to know we weren't alone in our misery.
She may have said something to the manager since he showed up a few minutes later, again, asking the ubiquitous "Is everything OK?" question. When I told him that, truth be told, our dining experience had not been a very enjoyable one, begining with my receiving the wrong order, his swift response was to cut me off and chastise me for not sending it back. It seemed pointless to explain to him why I hadn't, so I then turned to the subject of how my husband had been treated over the dessert issue, stating that I didn't think it was appropriate for him to be blamed for something that was clearly the restaurant's fault. Said the manager, "Oh, those cooks! That's just their shtick. They always act like that. Don't take it personally."
He had some other excuses, but the words "I'm sorry" were never included. I guess there's a certain irony to be gleaned from the fact that apparently EVERYONE gets to suffer at The Stand, from management to customers. Well, I'm sorry...and I won't be back.
Oh...the food? OK, but not nearly as polished as "the shtick."
Tony's Mexican Grill...Fabulous!
Following some advice found herein, The Husband and I recently had dinner at Tony's Mexican Grill (http://www.tonysmexicangrill.com) and it was wonderful! I had the most delicious fish burrito filled with amazingly tasty and fresh mahi mahi. My mate had a combo plate replete with a taco and a burrito along with an enchilada on the side, and he was also a happy camper. Along from the great food, I have to praise the service...very friendly and attentive. It's not a swanky spot, but one of the few restaurants in recent memory which I've visited and left absolutely satisfied on all accounts (it didn't hurt that we managed, upon arrivial, to snag one of the few parking spots). So, a shout-out to Tony's!
Lunch in Sherman Oaks/Studio City
My spouse and I will be doing some business on Ventura Blvd. today, and I want to see if I can entice him to an actual restaurant lunch. He's not very adventurous, food-wise, so sushi, seafood, and probably French is out. He will go for Italian, Mexican, Chinese, or good ol' American, however. Any ideas?
BarbQ in Burbank - Burbank and Cahuenga
There's a BBQ stand in Burbank...On Burbank and Cahuenga. I can't discern its name, other than the fact that its signage is a large red link with the word "BarbQ" painted on it and the word "Wilkomen" painted over the door. Mid-morning drive-bys offer the scene of employees hauling out slabs of meat to be cooked on outdoor grills. Do any of you hounds know the place and/or can recommend the food?
Mongolian BBQ in Sherman Oaks/Van Nuys area
I've a friend who has been going on and on for years about her love for Mongolian BBQ. Unfortunately, she lives in the Michigan...a little too far for me! I know there's a place in the In-n-Out shopping plaza at Van Nuys and Ventura. Has anyone been there...or has an idea for another location? What's good to order?
Pho 999 and Pho 1 in Van Nuys...What to order?
I'm a complete novice in the area of Vietnamese cuisine, but both Pho 999 and Pho 1 are close by to me in Van Nuys, and I've always wanted to try one or both of them. My question is: What should I go for my first time out? Keeping in mind that I really don't care for most vegies (mushrooms and onions are OK!...and I loves me some garlic), do any of you 'hounds have any advice?
