‘Bacon’


Save the Bacon!

July 7th, 2011 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

Save us!

Debt ceiling got you down?  War and instability in the Middle East making you feel unloved?  Casey Anthony getting away with murder pissing you off?  I get it, the world is having some problems, but such problems are nothing compared to the biggest problem the world is currently facing:  Bacon Prices.  Cue the wailing. Continue Reading»


I Choo Choo Choose You

July 7th, 2011 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

What an apt description.

Located just south of President’s on Highway 53 in Superior, Wisconsin, is a restaurant in a box car.  I’m not sure how, but it somehow got the name of Choo Choo Bar & Grill.  Although it is plenty old, it seems that Choo Choo has been renovated recently and has the look of a new dive bar that will not look new for very long.  And if anyone knows how to test out the food of a dive bar, it’s this guy. Continue Reading»


Filled Up on Ford’s Filling Station

June 13th, 2011 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

Did someone say bacon?

Evoking images of an old fashioned gas station for Ford cars, Ford’s Filling Station in downtown Culver City actually has no actual relation to Henry Ford.  It also has no relation to Gerald Ford, the former US President from the great state of Michigan.  It does, however, have a relation to another Ford, Harrison.  You see, Ford’s is owned by Benjamin Ford, Harrison’s son, and he also happens to be the executive chef.  Last time I went to Ford’s, which was before the unvegan blog came into existence, Benjamin himself actually came out to our table to tell us the specials.  It was like the foodie version of meeting Harrison Ford. Continue Reading»


Snacking at Astro Burger

May 23rd, 2011 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

Yes, you are tasty. Thanks for asking.

Countless times I have driven through West Hollywood and passed Astro Burger.  In just about all of these situations, I have muttered to myself or to anyone in my car that I just need to try that place.  Finally, after one of my rare drinking nights in West Hollywood, I had a golden opportunity to see what was inside Astro Burger. Continue Reading»


A Big Time Lunch at Big Time

April 1st, 2011 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

Can a hole in the wall be standalone?

On the corner of Magnolia and Laurel Canyon in North Hollywood, there is a Taco Bell.  Across from that Taco Bell sits Yum Yum Donuts.  And just next to that Yum Yum Donuts is a burger joint called Big Time.  Although it has the looks of a hole in the wall, Big Time occupies its own piece of real estate and has looked inviting to me ever since I began working in North Hollywood.  Some of the best food in the world comes from places like this, so I was excited to find out if Big Time was one such place. Continue Reading»


Getting Cheesed at Cobras & Matadors

March 15th, 2011 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

Burrata cha-cha-cha.

Taking advantage of a special from Living Social, the girlfriend and I headed to Cobras & Matadors in Mid-City for a bit of a date night.  The place specializes in tapas and is BYO with a slight corkage fee.  We forgot the booze, so had to make up for it in food instead.  The deal was for 70 bucks worth, so that meant we had a lot of tapas to eat.  As usual, I eyed cheeses and meats, and was happy to be eating small plates because so much looked good. Continue Reading»


A Choice Dinner at Juicy Burger

February 10th, 2011 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

Look at that shiny bun. But is it too big?

Joining the ever-growing ranks of custom burger joints is a little place in Hollywood, called Juicy Burger.  Just opened last year, Juicy Burger quickly earned rave reviews, and in a burger-wild city like LA, that isn’t easy to do.  The custom burger concept is something I never tire of, because the very core of the concept protects me from vegetables, but how many do we really need?  And what sets Juicy Burger apart from its delicious competition? Continue Reading»


The Nostalgia Burger at Twin Castle

January 20th, 2011 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

This is not ramen.

On our way to get some ramen for lunch in North Hollywood, we passed by a place called Twin Castle.  The sign looked like it had been there since 1940 and the logo was similar enough to White Castle’s that we thought they might serve up some real sliders like back east.  Since the sign said “Hamburgers” we knew at the very least the place had burgers.  Our minds quickly jumped from ramen to burgers and we turned around and parked. Continue Reading»


Lunchtime at Lunch

January 5th, 2011 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

Look at those little toast-bubbles.

The nice thing about having random days off for New Year’s Day because the actual New Year’s falls on a Saturday is that I get to test out some lunch places that aren’t around my office.  This is what led me to the creatively named Lunch (which surprisingly also serves dinner) in Culver City.  Cue your Abbott and Costello references.  Lunch is pretty much what you would expect from your average lunch joint, with soups, salads and sandwiches.  But they do toss in some nice twists with sandwich creativity and even offer a make-your-own-sandwich option called Ideal Sandwich. Continue Reading»


Rainy Day Chili at Tub’s

December 29th, 2010 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

Is this the Texas way?

Having never spent a significant amount of time in Texas, Texas-style chili remains a mystery to me.  However, if I were to imagine chili in Texas, it would pretty much look like Tub’s Fine Chili & Fancy Fixins, which I decided to head to on one of LA’s recent days of rain.  For starters, the interior has a whole country-western sort of theme to it, with the workers wearing cowboy hats and cowboy-esque stools that resemble saddles.  It’s a bit gimmicky for Southern California, but it kind of feels right for the place.  Then there’s the chili, which is a far cry from the Midwestern-style chili I know and love from Chili John’s in Burbank and pretty much the entire state of Michigan.  But that’s not necessarily a bad thing, because as they say, “variety is the spice of life.” Continue Reading»


Going Global at Plan Check

Fries of the world.

A couple of weeks ago, The Backyard Bite invited me to The Burger Culture Clash, sponsored by Stussy (which apparently still exists) and Plan Check. Plan Check, by the way, is a sort of new (since February) restaurant in West LA with Chef Ernesto Uchimura of Umami Burger fame. As my love of burgers, especially those of the umami variety, I jumped at the opportunity.

Although I arrived alone, I was not the only lone eater. Just next to where I was seated, I met e*star LA and we decided to share a meal called loneliness, because it’s better than eating alone. We made quick friends over our respective blogs and Midwestern roots, then got to work at dissecting the special menu, which Plan Check will be featuring for the next month if anything tickles your fancy.

Continue Reading»