It seems as though our great nation cannot agree upon a date to celebrate National Hot Dog Day. I’ve seen websites claiming it falls on any day between 19th and 23rd of July, but there is certainly one thing we can agree on: July is truly the month for hot dogs. It starts with Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest on July 4th, and continues throughout the month with strings of backyard barbecues, baseball games and the sheer enjoyment of that magical tube meat. So before the month ends, be sure to get your share of hot dogs, you’ll be happy you did.
Events
Celebrate National Hot Dog Day!
July 22nd, 2009 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble RedditFree Food Alert: Chick-fil-A Cow Appreciation Day
July 9th, 2009 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble RedditJuly 10th, Chick-fil-A will be having a Cow Appreciation Day to try to get people to eat more chicken. Honestly, I couldn’t think of a better way to appreciate a cow than by eating it, kind of like how in the movies some Native Americans would eat the heart of a warrior they just killed to show their appreciation. But I digress. In Chick-fil-A’s case, all you have to do for Cow Appreciation Day is show up to one of their restaurants dressed up as a cow. If you do, they’ll give you a free meal of chicken, which I hear can be quite tasty.
Free Meat Alert: White Castle
June 15th, 2009 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit
I don't know if it's a real slider, but it's free.
Click on that picture to the left to get a free Pulled Pork Slider coupon from White Castle. The coupon is good through June 30th and looks pretty damn good.
I have a hard time believing you can make a real slider out of pulled pork, but since White Castle burgers are true sliders, maybe they are on to something…
*Update: It looks like they are also offering free regular sliders through July 12th. Check out the coupon here. Thanks to AHT for the info.
(via Gizmodo)
Free Meat Alert: Texas de Brazil
June 8th, 2009 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble RedditFor one day of the year, unvegans all around will be wishing they were fathers. And if they are fathers, Father’s Day this year can be truly memorable. Texas de Brazil, the Brazilian steak house chain is offering a free dinner for fathers on Father’s Day. Of course some restrictions apply, but this is still a great offer for some delicious Brazilian steak.
LA BBQ Festival
May 12th, 2009 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit
LC's had the longest line for some reason...
On Sunday, I made my way to the Santa Monica Pier to take part in the LA BBQ Fest. Having heard horror stories about last year, I have to say I had semi-low expectations. A friend of mine had managed to secure $5 tickets (as opposed to the regular price of $10) and we were also able to go in an hour earlier than the general public.
At $10 a plate, this was not a festival to attend alone. Instead, my friends and I divided up the place to get a few plates and sample each other’s. First, we checked out Southside Market and BBQ from Elgin, 
Texas. They were offering sausage and brisket (combined) sandwiches with no side dish. Despite the fact that the plate came with onions, this place was truly built for unvegans. The sausage was incredible, but the brisket was nothing special. It felt as if the brisket was just kind of forced in order to make the plate worth the $10, because there was no way to tackle two of those sausages. Continue Reading»
El Pollo Loco Re-Enters The Free Chicken Battle
May 8th, 2009 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble RedditNot sure what will happen since KFC has taken back their coupons, but in response to the KFC coupon not being redeemable on Mother’s Day, El Pollo Loco has decided to accept the coupon that day. This fight just keeps getting better and better.
Free Meat Alert: KFC Part 2
May 8th, 2009 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble RedditIt appears that KFC’s free chicken deal has caused quite a commotion around our beloved nation. “People” are up in arms because of Oprah’s promotion of it, while others caused problems when their local KFC ran out of chicken. In response, KFC has nullified their coupons. Now, the coupon gets the person another coupon at another time that is yet undisclosed. They call it a rain check, but I call it a disappointment. Free disappointment, anyone?
Having not yet used my coupon, I’m not going to make a special trip to KFC just to get another coupon. Maybe if they had gotten Jimmy Kimmel to promote it we would all still be able to enjoy a free meal at KFC.
Celebrate Roasted Leg of Lamb Day!
May 7th, 2009 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit
Bonus points if you catch the lamb yourself.
Falling smack dab in the middle of the unofficial Support Pork Week, today is Roasted Leg of Lamb Day. Do you have a spit, a backyard grill or a Mongolian-style BBQ grate? If so, head out to your local grocer and cook yourself a fine roasted leg of lamb. Not doing so would be un-American.
(via Serious Eats)
Support Pork Week
May 6th, 2009 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble RedditNow that we have recovered from the paranoia surrounding the Swine Flu, it’s time to re-embrace those unkosher animals that caused the whole media event in the first place. Enter Support Pork Week, an idea proposed by Indrani Sen of the New York Times. Rather than avoiding one of the great meats of the world, we should make up for lost time and support the other white meat. From bacon to salami to shoulder, let’s all jump back on the pork wagon and celebrate surviving the first pandemic of 2009.
(via NY Times)
Reviews
Electing to Eat at Lukshon
February 2nd, 2012
Delukshus!
A while back, Sang Yoon opened up a place called Lukshon in Culver City. For some, this was a time to rejoice, as this was the man behind the Father’s Office burger. But for me, it was a time to…well…consider trying out Lukshon. You see, if you know me, you know my disdain for the Father’s Office burger. So it took until dineLA’s Restaurant Week to get me out to Lukshon. I went with a sizable crowd, collectively known as the Suppah Club, and we had ourselves a seat at a massive table on Lukshon’s patio in Culver City.
Continue Reading»
Heroes
Pandas: Unvegan Heroes
January 10th, 2012
He has a taste for blood!
For my whole life, I have had a lack of respect for pandas. Yes, pandas. They may be cute, but despite being genetically predisposed to eat meat, they had chosen a life of eating bamboo. This choice has led to their endangerment, because it takes a whole lot more bamboo to feed a panda than meat. But things seem to be changing. Pandas now have a taste for blood.
Continue Reading»
Unvegan Top 20 for 2011
‘Tis the season for “Best of the Year” lists, so I thought I would join the party and put in my top 20 new restaurants from 2011. By the way, this means the restaurants were new to me, not new to LA. Please note that I am only including meals in the Los Angeles area. As much as I loved the food on my travels, you can check any of those places out pretty quickly by clicking here. So, without further caveat, here’s the best that 2011 had to offer for the unvegan:
This tapas place in Mid-City is everything tapas should be. From bacon-wrapped dates to a variety of cheeses, there is really something for anyone looking for a delicious meal. Just beware, while tapas can be kept to a moderate price, when you throw a big group in with small plates, there are bound to be some people who don’t get their money’s worth. But keep the group small and Cobras and Matadors will send you home full and happy.
19. Steingarten
Dishing out delicious sausages, including a few of the exotic variety, Steingarten also offers up a pretty stellar beer selection. If you’ve ever wanted to eat alligator in sausage form, Steingarten won’t disappoint, but they also serve a wider range of foods, including some pretty delicious burgers. Their sausage execution, though, could use a bit of improvement, which pushed another sausage joint further up on the list.
Continue Reading»
