The Unvegan

‘American’

Consuming Mojo at Shakey’s Pizza

July 21st, 2010 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

Just like the olden days.

Shakey’s Pizza and I have a long history, dating all the way back to when I lived in Japan. I discovered Shakey’s in Kyoto and found it to have the best pizza in Japan, at least at that time. They had a modestly priced buffet and although they still served crazy Japanese-style pizza with mayonnaise and corn, they also had good old fashioned pepperoni and cheese. Plus they had delicious fried potatoes and Melon Fanta. Needless to say, every trip to Kyoto came with a stop at Shakey’s. Little did I know at the time that Shakey’s was not just some Japanese anomaly, but had begun in the US. At one point it was a pretty big deal in the US, but now there are more of them in Asia than in the US. Yet, it wasn’t until I moved to LA that I realized I could enjoy the Shakey’s goodness without a plane trip to Asia. Although I knew of Shakey’s in LA for awhile, I finally got the chance to check it out myself and see if it could live up to my memories. Continue Reading»

2 Comments

American, Buffets, Italian, japan, kyoto, Los Angeles, mac and cheese, meat, mojos, north hollywood, pepperoni, Pizza, restaurants, shakey's pizza

Thinking Outside the Box at Village Grille

July 9th, 2010 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

Pizza! Nachos!

Although I grew up in Michigan, I can’t remember ever setting foot in Grosse Pointe. I guess it was just too far outside the bubble of Farmington Hills/West Bloomfield. Fortunately, my buddy decided to marry a Grosse Point native, giving me my first chance to see what food was like on the other side of Detroit. We headed to the nice little downtown area of Grosse Point and got ourselves a table at the Village Grille. Continue Reading»

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American, Bar Food, Bars, Beer, Burgers, detroit, grosse pointe, hamburgers, labatt blue, meat, michigan, nachos, Pizza, restaurants, Travel

The Unvegan Ate at EAT

July 1st, 2010 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

Nothing unruly in here.

When you name a restaurant EAT, you better be prepared to have some good food and you better be ready to feed some hungry eaters. One day I was hungry and was looking for something to eat, so I was really hoping that EAT would deliver on their name. My coworker and I took a seat outside and then took a look at the menu. They had some specials that gave my fancy quite a tickle, but when he asked the waitress what some of the best dishes were, she pointed out The 76ER and I knew it belonged in my belly. Well, at least most of it. You see, it was one of those sandwiches where you slowly read the ingredients and get more and more excited, until you find something terrible and your sandwich fantasy comes crashing down. On this sandwich, that destructive entity was the tomato and the fantastical elements were grilled chicken breast, cheddar and swiss cheese, bacon and avocado on sourdough bread. Fortunately, I saw the tomato in the list and ordered my meal without it. Then I got some fries with that. Continue Reading»

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American, Chicken, eat, Los Angeles, north hollywood, restaurants, Sandwiches

Waking Up to Ram’s Horn

June 18th, 2010 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

This is a good way to wake up.

For an early breakfast after my favorite LAX-DTW red-eye, my parents took me to Ram’s Horn in Farmington Hills. Ram’s Horn is one of those restaurants that every town just needs. They have no specialty and they definitely don’t excel at anything. It’s typical American fare that you can count on at a good price. And it will never leave you disappointed. Or at least that had always been my experience, but this was my first breakfast visit to the place. Continue Reading»

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American, Breakfast, farmington hills, michigan, ram's horn, restaurants, Travel

Thanksgiving Come Early at Capriotti’s

May 28th, 2010 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

Only half the story.

It isn’t too often that my buddy, Joel, repeatedly requests that I go to a restaurant with him, so when he does I try to listen. After asking me to go to Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop in Beverly Hills with him a couple times, I gave in and went. I’m not sure what I was expecting when I walked in, but the place kind of had the air of an upscale Subway. But aside from that and the general shape of the sandwiches they served, to compare this place to Subway would be a severe disservice. Continue Reading»

3 Comments

American, Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, restaurants, Sandwiches, thanksgiving, turkey

Swinging Low at Swinger’s

March 12th, 2010 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

Damn you hidden pickle!

After a vicious night of partying, nothing makes me happier than a grilled cheese with bacon. This desire has only increased as I have gotten older, so after my most recent mess of an evening, some friends and I made a Sunday run to Swinger’s in the Mid-City area. Swinger’s is like diner, but slightly better because they have grass-fed beef and all that jazz. After waiting about 15 minutes for a table, we were finally seated. I took a long look at the menu, which was possible because of the long wait for our waitress and only found Grilled Cheese with Bacon on one of their daily specials. Unfortunately, that day was not Sunday. Continue Reading»

One Comment

American, Bacon, diners, grilled cheese, Los Angeles, Mid City, restaurants, swinger's

A Shiny Shiny Beacon

March 5th, 2010 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

A beacon of hope.

On a cold, wet afternoon, I was hankering for some lunch when I saw a beacon of hope in Culver City. No, not just any beacon, but a restaurant that was actually called Beacon. This name was just so similar to bacon that I had to try it out. Well, also I had heard some pretty good things about the place. The lunchtime crowd was pretty big, but my girlfriend and I still found a table pretty easily. Beacon was an interesting blend of Asian and American fusion, featuring dishes like “black” edamame (which sounds like an even scarier version than regular edamame) and Miso Braised Short Ribs. By far the most confusing part of the menu was figuring out which dishes were salads and which were sandwiches, since they both fell under the header of “Salads and Sandwiches.” Continue Reading»

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American, Asian, Beacon, Burgers, Culver City, hamburgers, Los Angeles, restaurants

Being Seasonal at Mimi’s Cafe

February 4th, 2010 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

Brie-tacular.

Recently I paid a visit to the desert, aka Rancho Mirage, to visit my grandparents. For dinner one night we headed to Mimi’s Cafe, which is apparently a chain that I had never heard of and was very appropriate for a meal with the grandparents. This was all new to me, though, so I was excited to see an entirely new menu of good food. It was obviously prepared with the health-conscious in mind, since it had its own little healthy section. Some of this section was even unvegan, but I was not in the mood for health. Instead, I found my way to their seasonal menu and their Brie Chicken. Continue Reading»

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American, California, Chains, Chicken, Coachella Valley, mimi's cafe, Rancho Mirage, restaurants, Travel

Eating Raw at 8 oz. Burger Bar

January 13th, 2010 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

Not sliders, but they look pretty.

The 8 oz. Burger Bar in Melrose has intrigued me for a long time. It combines two of my favorite things, burgers and bars, into one, so I knew eventually I would have to see how well that combination works. I recently got my chance and even went online to check their menu before going. On that menu I saw something that made me want to go even more: Fried Wisconsin Cheese Curds. Cheese curds are one of my favorite things in the world and although I prefer them un-fried, I will eat them anytime I see them offered. Excited about these curds, I stepped into 8 oz. Burger Bar.

Then I looked at their menu and almost cried. Continue Reading»

3 Comments

8 Oz. Burger Bar, American, Beef, Burgers, Cheese Curds, hamburgers, lamb, Los Angeles, melrose, restaurants, sliders, wild boar

Eating Meaty at Paul Martin’s

January 12th, 2010 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

There is nothing short about this rib.

If you’re getting tired of food truck writing, well, you are in luck. Today unvegan is jumping back into the brick and mortar world with a visit to Paul Martin’s American Bistro. Paul Martin’s is exactly the kind of restaurant a lot of Americans are looking for in the new decade. A creation of restaurateur Paul Fleming and Brian Bennett, it isn’t too expensive, but is definitely upscale. Perhaps more important than that is its supposed dedication to serving organic, sustainable and local foods. It’s a great concept that I can get behind, but pretty ineffective unless the food is good. Using my heightened unvegan senses, I checked them out for lunch to see if organic, local and sustainable translates into a good meal. Continue Reading»

2 Comments

American, Beef, Brian Bennett, El Segundo, Los Angeles, meat, paul fleming, paul martin's american bistro, restaurants, short ribs

Rants and Raves

Eat Fish, You’ll Thank Me Later

July 30th, 2009

Here’s a study that’s sure to please those supposed vegetarians who eat fish. It seems that eating fish reduces the risk of getting dementia. This shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise, considering all the other great benefits that are associated with eating fish. Fish Oils and Omega 3 already help the heart and the brain, so it just follows suit that eating fish reduces the chances of getting dementia.

For unvegans, it’s just one more bit of good news to propel us into eating yummy animals. For vegans, though, this is some pretty bad news. The upside for the vegans is that at least once they get dementia, they probably won’t be able to remember how good meat tastes.

(via Examiner)

UNVEGAN FANS: HELP STUDENTS LEARN ABOUT DELICIOUS FOOD!

Future Foodies!

HYPE is a non-profit organization that works directly with low-income middle schoolers and their teachers to provide students with the guidance and resources needed to qualify for admission and succeed at top private schools in the Los Angeles area. We provide our students with engaging and unfamiliar experiences to broaden their horizons. A large part of building this cultural capital is by having our students try a wide variety of new foods. This pushes our students outside of their comfort zones and encourages them to take risks in a fun (and tasty!) way. Last summer, our students tried Ethiopian food, sushi, Korean BBQ, deli, and schwarma, just to provide some examples.

We want your help, Unvegan fans, to increase our students’ knowledge about the world around them by enhancing their culinary experiences. We greatly appreciate your support to provide a meal to our group of 15. With your donation, you will be opening delicious doors for an amazing group of students! Please click on the link below to contribute to your favorite cuisine to a great group of kids!

Ethiopian Food
Sushi
Korean BBQ
Deli
Schwarma
Seafood
Indian Food

‘American’

Consuming Mojo at Shakey’s Pizza

Thinking Outside the Box at Village Grille

The Unvegan Ate at EAT

Waking Up to Ram’s Horn

Thanksgiving Come Early at Capriotti’s

Swinging Low at Swinger’s

A Shiny Shiny Beacon

Being Seasonal at Mimi’s Cafe

Eating Raw at 8 oz. Burger Bar

Eating Meaty at Paul Martin’s

Rants and Raves

Eat Fish, You’ll Thank Me Later

UNVEGAN FANS: HELP STUDENTS LEARN ABOUT DELICIOUS FOOD!

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Unvegan Friends