Not quite, but it’s definitely a fun idea to toy with. One aspect of veganism that I have always found entertaining is the general discord among vegans. From whether they can eat honey to whether they agree with radical PETA’s tactics, they seem to almost have as many schisms as Christianity. But I digress. Today I read an article, entitled “Vegans Against Veganism,” that blew my mind about vegans. Perhaps they aren’t the holier than thou radicals I have always thought. Continue Reading»
‘food’
Experiencing the New Bella Luna
October 5th, 2009 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit
Have meatballs with my pizza.
While in Boston, we were told the sad tale of a place called the Milky Way in Jamaica Plain. Apparently the Milky Way had taken moved into JP in worse times and brought good food, a fun bar and even a bowling alley. The Milky Way paved the way for JP to become a desirable place to live again. Then, an evil landlord decided to raise the rent, essentially pushing the Milky Way out. It didn’t take long for the Milky Way to find a new location, but instant karma hit the landlord, who has since been unable to fill the void left by the Milky Way.
So off we went to try the new place out. The new Milky Way is divided into a restaurant known as Bella Luna and a lounge area called Milky Way. We stuck to Bella Luna, which had a pretty cool and classy astronomical design, for some dinner. Continue Reading»
A Perfect Sandwich at Ula Cafe
October 2nd, 2009 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit
No substitutions necessary.
While waiting for a tour of the Sam Adams brewery in the Jamaica Plain are of Boston, we took a short walk to Ula Cafe to grab lunch. Both the brewery and Ula Cafe are located in a strange complex that formerly housed some other, now-defunct brewery.
That brewery’s loss was my gain, for as I perused the menu on the wall of Ula Cafe, I came across a sandwich of dreams. No, this wasn’t some meat-filled cardiac-arresting behemoth, but it seemed to good to be true. The name was Roast Turkey, but that didn’t begin to tell the tale of what would lie beneath the slices of bread. This sandwich was composed of turkey, guacamole, bacon and provolone. Not a vegetable in sight. I had to ask the woman at the counter just to be sure that my eyes didn’t deceive me. She told me it came as noted on the menu, with nary a tomato or lettuce leaf thrown in. I ordered it immediately.
Then came the hard part.
Making My Way in the World at the Cheers Bar
September 30th, 2009 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit
Where nobody knew my name...
One of the most important places for my seemingly elderly girlfriend to visit while we were in Boston was the Cheers Bar, which is exactly what it sounds like; the bar that the TV show Cheers was based on. Never mind the fact that she wasn’t yet born when the show began, it has remained one of her favorite shows.
Upon entering, the bar looks exactly like it did in the show, except it wasn’t filled the characters we know and love. The menu wasn’t exactly groundbreaking, although I didn’t expect it to be. Continue Reading»
Curried Away at Wagamama
September 29th, 2009 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit
This might be the prettiest picture I've taken.
While in Boston for a long weekend, I took the opportunity to check out how people eat on the other coast. My first chance to sample the “local fare” came at Wagamama, an international Japanese food chain originally from England. Ok, so it wasn’t exactly local, but Boston is New England, so I made due with what I had.
Our waiter was a low talker, making it difficult to ascertain what he was trying to say at any given moment, but eventually we all figured out when it was time to order. After a long look at the menu, I settled upon the Chicken Katsu Curry, which is some fried chicken cutlet, rice and curry. It also came with “mixed leaves and red pickles,” which I tried to convince the low talker that I didn’t want. Continue Reading»
Sampling My Way to Rotisserie Works
September 25th, 2009 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit
I love it when sides are bigger than the main course.
For a pre-movie dinner, I found myself at the Century City food court once again and looking for something new. Some of the competitors in the food court have found the best way to bring in new customers: sampling.
I will sample almost anything put in front of me, as long as it has no vegetable qualities. You wouldn’t buy a car without giving it a test drive, so why buy a meal without knowing how it will taste? Well obviously, this isn’t always possible, but when it is I think it’s great to take advantage.
The Rotisserie Works offered me a sample of their Hawaiian BBQ chicken and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It had a nice sweet BBQ taste with the hint of some pineapple-like fruit. After a few other tastes, I decided the Hawaiian chicken would be filling my belly that evening. The order of chicken came with two sides, and I looked at the menu with mild distaste. All but two of the sides had words like “squash,” and “spinach,” so I ordered their mashed potatoes and mac and cheese.
Continue Reading»
Going Greek at Papa Cristo’s
September 24th, 2009 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit
Octobabies!
I had wanted to go to Papa Cristo’s for a long time, but I just didn’t realize it. You see, the outside of the restaurant/market really makes no major reference to the name of the place. Instead, it just says “Greek Food.” When my friend suggested trying it, I complied without realizing it was the place I had driven by so many times.
Inside, the place has a miniature Greek market, a counter to order food at and a big room that can double as a dining room or banquet room. My first stop was the counter to place my order. We ordered some of the Octapodakia appetizer, which is grilled baby octopus. I also ordered the Kreatopita, deliciously described on the menu as a meat pie. For my main course, I decided to get back to the Greek basics and ordered the Gyros sandwich. This came with lettuce and tomatoes, so I ordered it without. Continue Reading»
Dogs: Unvegan Heroes
September 23rd, 2009 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit
A man's best...meal?
A recent report from the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm has shed a new light on the history of the domestication of dogs in the world.
It seems that dogs weren’t originally intended to be man’s best friend. Instead, they were most likely domesticated to be man’s next meal.
According to the New York Times, “[a] single domestication event seems to have occurred in southern China…[where]there is a long tradition of eating dogs…” Continue Reading»
Wrapping at The Tavern on Main
September 23rd, 2009 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit
I had never been to The Tavern on Main for food before, as I had always thought of the place as more of a bar than a restaurant, yet I wasn’t going to turn it down when I found out some people were going.
We sat in a back room, which almost looked like a real restaurant, despite the fact that you still had to go through the bar area to get there.
I deliberated with the menu for quite a long time, since a lot of the burgers and sandwiches looked really good. Ultimately, thought, I decided I needed to add some spice to my meal, so I ordered the Buffalo Chiicken Wrap, which came with bleu cheese, lettuce, tomato and ranch dressing. The lettuce and tomato would not make a good unvegan meal, so I ordered without. The wrap also came with a side order, so I asked for the mac and cheese. Continue Reading»
On the Water at Brophy Bros.
September 22nd, 2009 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit
Very bro-like
Walking into Brophy Bros. in Santa Barbara, based on the name, I expected some sort of frat house with waiters walking around with sweaters tied around their shoulders and referring to everyone as “Bro,” “Brah,” and “Brosef.” Instead, I found a seafood restaurant. Not sure which I would have preferred, as I seem to be finding myself at seafood places quite often lately, and I am not enjoying the pattern. Nonetheless, I rapidly found the most unhealthy dish on the menu, Fish ‘n’ Chips. Continue Reading»
Rants and Raves
Global Shrinking
August 27th, 2010
Is this the future unvegan?
As if we don’t have enough to worry about with global warming. What with the crazy 110 degree weather I’m experiencing in the hellish valley or dwindling glaciers, now we have to worry about shrinkage. Now, not that kind of shrinkage. That kind comes with the cold. No, the shrinkage I write of affects all unvegans, whether man, woman or beast.
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»
