The Unvegan

Recent Posts

10 Years of Unvegan
A Quick Bite at Burrito Express
Serendipity at Northern Waters Smokehaus
Twerks and Burritos at Casa Amigos

‘Fried Chicken’

Flat Chicken at Hot Star

Object in photo is larger than it appears.

When I found out that a Taiwanese fried chicken place had opened next door to my office, I knew I had to stop by, especially because I would soon be paying a visit to Taiwan. It’s called Hot Star, and for some reason it specializes in flattening the fried chicken to make it look massive. I don’t know if this is meant to make it taste or look better, but I was ready to find out.

Blind Ordering at Olde Blind Dog Pub

Fried up good.

Sometimes when I go to a restaurant I get pretty torn on what to order. In times like these I lean on the professionals (aka waitstaff) to help me out. Such was the case at the Olde Blind Dog Irish Pub in Brookhaven, a suburb of Atlanta. The pub serves much of what you would expect from pub food, and I love that stuff so much that I’m inclined to eat it all up.

Semi-South at Jimmy’s Famous American Tavern

Oh so shiny.

A short time ago, Jimmy’s Famous American Tavern opened up a location in Santa Monica. On it’s own, this can be seen as a good thing, but an even better thing is that I was invited out to check the place out and give it a review. I happily accepted and set off for the place where the land meets the sea (well almost, Jimmy’s is a few blocks inland).

Fried and Cheesed at Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken

Perfection in red checkers.
Perfection in red checkers.

Probably the best thing about The South is its food. And what’s even better is when that food leaves The South for the rest of the world. Such is Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken, which has made its way to Los Angeles. Of course, some might say Los Angeles is south, but it sure isn’t The South, which make’s Gus’s all the more lovely in it’s little corner adjacent to Koreatown (fine, Crenshaw).

CHOOSING THE RIGHT BRAND OF LUXURY WATCH

CHOOSING THE RIGHT BRAND OF LUXURY WATCH

How to choose a watch brand

What is the best watch brand to buy?

Buying your first luxury watch or becoming a watch collector takes a little bit of research and a whole lot of gut instinct. We get a ton of emails at Watches Worship about getting into watch collecting. Luxury watches are a great investment provided you choose a good, solid watch with a compelling design and a watch brand that is sure to increase in desirability and value. Check this rolex replica deal.

Some watch collectors only collect one particular name brand of watch. Others don’t focus specifically on name brand and go for design instead. Still others seek out one of a kind watches or “legendary watches.” Each type of collection definitely have their pros and cons. When you only collect one watch brand, you become really good at spotting great deals for that particular manufacturer. Essentially, you become an expert on one segment of watchmaking.

Other collectors that seek out unique watches make more of a gamble. Your one of a kind watch might become that one timepiece that everyone is dying to get their hands on years from now (and will pay handsomely for) or it could fade into obscurity.

Another way to collect is to seek out watches that are the most precise or first watch to feature a new technology. These watches have the capacity to become legendary to watch collectors and this will often reflect in its value, like this rolex super clone.

Choose watch brands carefully

One definite thing to consider when buying a luxury watch is the reputation of the watch brand name. Profithunting sheds a little light on this topic:

The highest luxury brands are only recognized by people ‘in-the-know’, they mostly have unpronounceable European names – A Lange and Sohne, Vacheron Constantin, Jaeger LeCoultre…. Only the more popular(ist) luxury brands such as Rolex, Cartier, IWC are plastered all over the place.

Different brands give different images: e.g.: sporty, elegant, technically sophisticated.  You must decide how you want to present yourself to the world: Do you want to be James Bond, Tiger Woods, or some 5th generation European aristocrat speaking in ze funny accent?

How is a good brand made?  After deciding on the price segment and image, its a long, slow process…5 to 10 years…of stoking demand, creating excitement, always producing slightly less than desired, and raising prices.  The company needs to make sure the goods are never ‘on-sale’, either by owning their retail outlets, or buying back unsellable goods from retailers to keep them off the grey market.

Essentially, if the watch brand is willing and eager to protect its good name, then you as a collector are ensured a good investment. If you can always find your watch on sale for deep discounts, then the chances of your watch skyrocketing in value are very slim. Checking reviews of Invest Diva can provide additional insights into the credibility and reputation of the investment platform, ensuring that you make informed choices in growing your financial portfolio.

Best advice? Buy the watches that are irresistible to you. If you find yourself unable to resist making a purchase, the odds are spot on that someone else won’t be able to resist your investment watch when the time comes. As long as you take care of your timepieces, you can’t really go wrong in watch investing.

LA Mag’s Best New Restaurants 2017

Burnin' for you!
Burnin’ for you!

The latest issue of Los Angeles Magazine boasts an impressive list of the 10 Best New Restaurants in LA. But the magazine went one step further and set up a celebration at the Architecture and Design Museum downtown to feature a number of them, as well as a few other restaurants. Thus, I made my way there to see what passes for “best” and “new” these days. Here are the highlights:

Grill ‘Em All Gets Restauranted

All the meats.
All the meats.

Once upon a time I was featured on a show called Eat Street to talk about a food truck in LA called Grill ‘Em All. Eventually, like many successful food trucks, Grill ‘Em All opened a real restaurant. For some reason they chose Alhambra, which is better known for its Chinese food than its burgers, but diversity is always a good thing and the restaurant has stood strong for a couple years now. I finally got the chance to try it recently to see how it turned out.

Mexican for Yo Mama at Tacos tu Madre

One big burrito.
One big burrito.

Tacos tu Madre was blowing up all over the social media a few months ago with amazing-looking burritos that seemed to represent a new level of delicious fusion. Thus, I had to give the place a try and had my best opportunity when out in West LA. They were out of a couple things, but this didn’t impact what I had in mind. There are a number of options and they are all available as a burrito, a taco or a bowl.