The Unvegan

An Engaging Dinner at Michael’s

February 3rd, 2012 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

I did it for the ziti!

Well, you must have known the day was gonna come eventually. You know, the one where that lady I often refer to as “the girlfriend” in my reviews becomes “the fiance.” Yes, I’m sorry for not consulting you wonderful readers of mine ahead of time, but it was something that had to be done. So, while in Breckenridge, Colorado for a bit of a ski trip with the family, my parents decided to take everyone out to dinner to celebrate the engagement. We picked out a mid-range Italian place called Michael’s, thinking it would be a great place to make everyone happy. Continue Reading»

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Breckenridge, Colorado, Italian, Michael's, restaurants, Travel

Giordano’s, for Real This Time

December 21st, 2011 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

Thanks for the memories.

A long, long time ago, I was a fledgling meat blogger just getting his bearings. In a desperate attempt to eat Giordano’s and get it on the blog, I bought a half-baked pie in Chicago, packed it in ice and brought it back to LA to finish the baking myself. The result was delicious, and while I reviewed it, I always felt that it was unfair to judge a restaurant in which much of the cooking was up to me. Since those, very little has changed, but my desire for Giordano’s has only grown stronger. So on my last visit to Chicago, I made sure to hit Giordano’s for real, or to at least have some of my family pick it up for me in Evanston. Continue Reading»

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Chicago, Chicago-Style Pizza, evanston, giordano's, Italian, Pizza, Travel

Eating with Ray at San Gennaro

December 15th, 2011 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

More like San get out of here!

I could read all the food blogs in the world and go to all the restaurants they claim to be great, but nothing really ever beats a personal recommendation. Usually it comes from someone you know and they know your taste better any anonymous or famous food critics. So when my buddy and his lady friend suggested we hit up an Italian place called San Gennaro in Brentwood, I was ready for business.

When we arrived, one look at the menu told me this was not going to be an easy choice. Instantly my eyes met with gnocchi, Italian fried chicken and Ray’s Special pizza. Instead of making the tough decision myself, I asked the waiter to decide for me and he picked the pizza. Continue Reading»

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Brentwood, Italian, Los Angeles, Pizza, restaurants, san gennaro, sausage

Sausage-Free at Tony’s Deli

November 14th, 2011 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

And here, Tony makes a sandwich.

Out in the strange region of the Valley known as Toluca Lake is a decent selection of restaurants for working-class folk like myself. Filling the role of Italian Deli is a place called Tony’s, which is a tiny little sandwich shop that also happens to offer a couple easy-to-serve-at-sandwich-shops-but-not-actual-sandwich items like lasagna. Most of their sandwiches come with an array of unvegan horrors like lettuce, tomato, pickles and onions, but one did not. This was the way of the unvegan. Continue Reading»

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Italian, Los Angeles, meatballs, restaurants, Sandwiches, toluca lake, tony's deli

Island Italian at Spaghetti House

October 24th, 2011 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

A strong start.

For some reason, despite being on a tropical island, Bina was craving Italian food. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that we had a 15% off coupon to Spaghetti House or perhaps it had something to do with taste buds. Whatever the case, I was happy to mix up our Rarotonga grubbing with something different, so we walked on over to Spaghetti House in Arorangi to see what sort of Italian the were serving. Continue Reading»

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Arorangi, Cook Islands, Italian, meat, rarotonga, restaurants, spaghetti house, Travel

Going to Buffalo with Godfather’s Pizza

October 17th, 2011 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

So swirly!

Many months ago, someone was telling me about a delicious pizza chain from the Midwest called Godfather’s. Being from the Midwest, I was a bit surprised until he told me it was from that other Midwest. You know, like Kansas and stuff. Then Godfather’s started getting a lot more attention because of some dude named Herman Cain that wants to be President. So when I ordered some pizza delivery from a place called Godfather’s that recently appeared in Palms, I was thinking this was one and the same as the fabled Godfather’s I had heard so much about. I was wrong, for the first time. Continue Reading»

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Buffalo Chicken, Delivery, godfather's italian restaurant, Italian, Los Angeles, Palms, Pizza, restaurants

Two Boots Pizza for the Soul

September 27th, 2011 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

So bright and colory. I must go there!

As I walked towards The Echo in Echo Park for a night of dancing to soul music, I passed a little joint called Two Boots Pizza and just knew that by the time the night had ended their pizza would make its way into my extensive digestive system. So when the wee hours of the morning found me stepping out of The Echo, I stepped right into Two Boots and got a looksie at what they had to offer. Although they sold whole pies, a quick look at their slices told me I would be ordering by the slice. These slices were some of the most unique I had seen in a long time, perhaps in forever. Continue Reading»

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echo park, Italian, Los Angeles, meat, Pizza, restaurants, sausage, two boots pizza

Stumbling Upon Giovanni’s Trattoria

September 22nd, 2011 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

Getting personal with meatballs.

On a quest for Indian food, we found ourselves staring at a vegetarian restaurant on Venice that shall remain nameless. Realizing we had made a huge mistake, we went to the next-closest Indian place, just down the street, but for some reason it was closed on a Tuesday night at 7:30. Poor business tactics, but it would prove to be a blessing in disguise. For although the Indian place was closed, we realized we were standing in a strange little corner strip mall in Culver City with restaurants serving Japanese, Mexican, Italian and Thai food, in addition to Indian. Presented with such choices, we opted to check out the Italian place, called Giovanni’s Trattoria and crossed our fingers in the hopes that it would be any good. Continue Reading»

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Culver City, Delivery, giovanni's trattoria, Italian, Los Angeles, restaurants

Sketching Out at Hollywood Pies

September 20th, 2011 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

Best storefront ever.

You make a call and show up in a back alley 45 minutes later. When you arrive, your guy comes out carrying about five pounds worth. You hand him your cash, then take your purchase wherever you want and inhale it. If this sounds like a drug deal to you, get your mind out of the gutter. Unless your drug is pizza, in which case you should head to this back alley in West Hollywood immediately. This is the way it works for Hollywood Pies, the sketchiest pizza place in LA you’ve never been to. You may have eaten their pizza, and you may have even picked up their pizza, but you have never been there because there is no “there.” Continue Reading»

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Chicago-Style Pizza, Italian, Los Angeles, meat, meatballs, pepperoni, Pizza, sausage, west hollywood

Parking at Garage Pizza

September 1st, 2011 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

Where happy hour becomes meaty hour.

What’s the first thing you think about when someone tells you you’re going to a place called Garage Pizza? Flying unicorns with laser beam eyes? Doing the backstroke through a sea of sour patch gummy worms? No, you think of pizza found down a shady back alley with a haggard old man selling you a grimy looking slice of pizza out of a homemade oven built from used industrial parts. Thankfully none of those are true (despite the fact that flying unicorns with laser beam eyes are pretty sweet and totally real) and I can happily say that Garage Pizza is a legitimate, mostly haggard-free, pizza establishment.
Continue Reading»

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Downtown LA, garage pizza, happy hour, Italian, Los Angeles, new york-style pizza, Pizza, restaurants

Rants and Raves

Poorly Made by PETA

September 9th, 2009

Here’s a look at PETA’s most recently banned ad, featuring the lovely Pamela Anderson. Apparently it was supposed to be shown in airports, but they decided it was too sexy for that. I actually just think the video is very poorly made. Not that I’m pro fur or anything. If you’re gonna kill an animal, it should be for the food and not for the natural Gore-Tex.

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.

‘Italian’

An Engaging Dinner at Michael’s

Giordano’s, for Real This Time

Eating with Ray at San Gennaro

Sausage-Free at Tony’s Deli

Island Italian at Spaghetti House

Going to Buffalo with Godfather’s Pizza

Two Boots Pizza for the Soul

Stumbling Upon Giovanni’s Trattoria

Sketching Out at Hollywood Pies

Parking at Garage Pizza

Rants and Raves

Poorly Made by PETA

Beer Me Some Breckenridge Agave Wheat

What is this?»

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