‘diners’

Classic Hollywood at Papoo’s Hot Dog Show

August 30th, 2011 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

Look, mom, I made a picture look cool without instagram!

In secret corners of Los Angeles, there are places that just scream, “Old Hollywood.” You know, the Hollywood before organic Whole Foods soy milk took over, when hot dogs were chock-full of nitrates and the only conceivable burger was of the “ham” variety. Vestiges of this near-forgotten time still exist, as proven by Irv’s Burgers, which I visited a few months ago. But Irv’s is not alone, as I recently discovered a similarly classic-looking place called Papoo’s Hot Dog Show in Toluca Lake.
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Breaking the Hamburger Habit

August 8th, 2011 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

Stop scaring me, pickles.

Over in West LA, there is a burger place called Hamburger Habit.  As I habitually consume burgers, the place sounded just perfect for me.  The exterior of the joint loudly displays an award given to it by KABC as the best burger in Southern California.  The interior is also full of awards, but unfortunately the most recent date back to the Clinton Administration.  Still, I wanted to know what all the fuss was about.  Did Hambuger Habit start churning out terrible burgers or did they just get left in the dust by newer LA burgers? Continue Reading»

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Feeling Patriotic at Richie’s Real American Diner

September 9th, 2010 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

An American Californian burger.

Out visiting my uncle in Murrietta, we were in need of some dinner.  Having just moved there a few months ago, there were still some local places he was looking to try out.  On this night, Richie’s Real American Diner was calling his name.  This is one of those places loaded with in-your-face patriotism and reminded me of what every restaurant must have looked like in the ’50s.  Since I am a true American, this looked like it would be a good place for me. Continue Reading»

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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»

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Eating the Desert at Nick’s Coffee Shop

March 9th, 2010 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

Hmm what's the ruling on cactus?

For a nice little Sunday brunch, the girlfriend and I headed over to Nick’s Coffee Shop at Pico-Robertson.  Coffee shop is kind of a misnomer for this place, since it’s really more of a diner in the S & W vein.  The place is pretty small, so there was a bit of a wait, which wasn’t a big deal on the sunny morning.  By the time we took our seats, I was hankering for some food.  I perused the extensive menu and found an omelet that looked pretty good to me.  It was called the Cactus Omelet and the menu described it as being packed with nutrients.  This was confusing, but then I saw that the ingredients included Hebrew National Salami and Jack Cheese.  It came with a side, so I got myself some grits. Continue Reading»

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S & W Country Diner

July 27th, 2009 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit
A breakfast for champions.

A breakfast for champions.

The following guest blog is courtesy of Waldo Centeno.  Check him out on Twitter:  @waldocent

I woke up on Sunday contemplating two things:  what happened last night and what’s for breakfast?  In a way, both questions were answered with one phrase – S & W.  Since moving to Culver City, my roommate and I have regularly attended S & W a few times a month and frequently run into people we know.  This time was no different, as we were greeted with many friendly faces.

As usual, the diner was uniquely covered in a menagerie of old travel souvenir items (license plates, road signs, large coca cola cap, etc.) scattered along the walls.  The simple setup of a counter, booths, un-sturdy tables, and mismatched chairs fondly reminded me of Ann Arbor’s own Fleetwood Diner, which is also a great place to get rid of hangovers while blowing away cigarette ash off of your plate. S & W, however, lacks cigarette ash/smoke, which is a plus in my book. Continue Reading»

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Howard’s Famous Bacon & Avocado Burgers

July 23rd, 2009 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit
Eat it. It's famous.

Eat it. It's famous.

Nearly daily I have driven past Howard’s Famous Bacon & Avocado Burgers in Palms and wondered what sort of greatness lay within.  Finally, I decided to check the place out.

Walking in, I kind of expected the place to reflect the decor of the awesome sign outside.  This was not to be the case.  Instead, it had a basic booth layout with a counter to order from.  I didn’t mind so much, since all I really wanted was bacon and avocado on a burger.  I checked out their menu on the wall, and saw all the options they had.  In a way, I was hoping they had a limited menu consisting of bacon, avocado and burgers, but instead I found a menu with many burger options and an almost passively bolded lettering of their namesake. Continue Reading»

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A Late-Night Mess at Norm’s Diner

July 17th, 2009 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit
Which part of the Mignon is this filet from?

Which part of the Mignon is this filet from?

A long night of drinking compelled me to head to Norm’s Diner in West LA.  Of course, this decision wasn’t the best I’ve ever made, but my decision of what to eat at Norm’s was a far worse one.

When I walked in the door, their specialty of the night/morning was on display and even a long look at their long menu couldn’t take my mind off of it.  The special was a Filet Mignon, with eggs, hash browns and pancakes.  Yes, pancakes.  Whoever thought of this one was clearly on something that made him happy and delirious.  Best of all, it was a whopping 10 bucks. Continue Reading»

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Beer Me Some Breckenridge Agave Wheat

The taste of skiing?

Colorado is definitely a beer state, and not just because Coors comes from the Rocky Mountain State.  No, it is also home to New Belgium (of Fat Tire fame) and seemingly countless other micro and craft breweries.  While in Breckenridge for a ski weekend, I decided I had to at least try one of these, and because it turned out to be the only one available at dinner, my choice happened to come from the creatively named Breckenridge Brewery.  The brewery, by the way, is actually no longer in Breckenridge, having expanded and moved to Denver in 1992.

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Mmm marbly.

What is this?»

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