‘Palms’

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A Food Trailer Named Derb’s Gourmet

December 24th, 2009 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit
This is not a truck.

This is not a truck.

One day I received a random Twitter follow from @derbsgourmet.  It piqued my interest so, I decided to follow them and found out that they were a new food truck called Derb’s Gourmet and set to launch in a couple days.  Not only that, but they were launching at a bar right down the street from me, Bigfoot West.  The sheer convenience was a sign that I had to try them out.

I arrived at 10:00, since that was supposed to be their launch time and saw that this was no normal food truck.  Continue Reading»

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Turkish to go at Sofra Kabab Express

December 11th, 2009 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit
No veggies in this doner.

No veggies in this doner.

About a year ago, a new Turkish restaurant opened down the street from me in Palms.  I was overjoyed at this and especially happy when I saw that they were open late on weekends.  Unfortunately, I went pretty soon after they opened and was kind of disappointed with the results.  Lucky for them, this was before I started a meat blog, so when I finally got around to paying them another visit recently, it was my first chance to give them an unvegan review.  The restaurant is called Sofra Kabab Express and although “express” is typically applied to fast food restaurants in airports, this is nothing like one of those, even encouraging people to hang around and smoke hookah (nargile in Turkish). Continue Reading»

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Bamboozled

October 9th, 2009 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit
Just what the bamboo ordered.

Just what the bamboo ordered.

Hidden behind faux bamboo stalks that protect the restaurant from the noise pollution of Venice, you would expect Bamboo to be a sort of Asian-inspired restaurant.  Going in with these expectations, you’d be surprised to find that Bamboo is a Caribbean and Latino inspired restaurant, but you definitely won’t be disappointed by the food.  Bamboo’s outdoor seating area has a nice and comfortable ambiance that would make it a great date spot.

The menu is a nice range of options, from pizza to seafood.  I found my own personal niche in the steak section and chose the Milanesa a La Bamboo Breaded steak.  This was topped with mozzarella, sauteed tomato, garlic and spices.  I asked the waiter if I could get mine without the tomato and he seemed very surprised at the prospect.  He then explained that this wasn’t just going to be some pile of tomatoes on the plate, but actually a tomato sauce.  I rescinded my request and awaited my meal. Continue Reading»

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Eating Trendy at Natalee Thai

August 25th, 2009 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit
There is a flame in there, you just can't see it.

There is a flame in there, you just can't see it.

For something new, my friends and I decided to check out Natalee Thai in Palms.  The building isn’t exactly decorated in the Thai style and is rather some sort of a postmodern mash-up.  Nonetheless, Thai food awaited within.

I first set eyes on the drink menu.  In it, there was a crazy-looking flaming drink that seemed to be like a Hawaiian shark bowl.  I ordered it with a friend and we proceeded to be amazed as the flame burned and we imbibed the alcohol. Continue Reading»

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The Himalayan Experience at Tara’s

August 3rd, 2009 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit
It's naan-tastic

It's naan-tastic

Tara’s in Palms is another little restaurant I’ve driven or walked by many times and wondered what great things wait inside.  Finally, I was craving some Indian food, so I took a step inside.  Now, to be clear, Tara’s isn’t a straight-up Indian restaurant.  Rather, it is Himalayan, aka Indian with a twist of Nepalese and Tibetan.  I think this gives the place a bit more character than just plain Indian cuisine.

To start the meal right, I asked the waitress what beer I should order.  She recommended a bottle of Old Monk beer, so I took her advice.  This was a great Indian lager beer that was especially good, because it came in one of those tall bottles that you can only seem to find at ethnic restaurants. Continue Reading»

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Rethinking Fast Food at Rally’s

July 31st, 2009 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit
Things between buns should always have double-meat.

Things between buns should always have double-meat.

Some days, typical fast food restaurants just aren’t enough.  Enter: Rally’s.  It’s like fast food, but with a few little twists.  In fact, it isn’t always called Rally’s.  Supposedly it is called Checker’s in some strange parts of the country.

What really drew me to Rally’s in Palms was the sign that said “2 for $4.  Double Bacon Cheddar Burgers and Double Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches.”  After seeing these options, I didn’t even need to look at the menu except to decide which fries I wanted.  One thing that sets Rally’s apart from other fast food places is that they have two drive-thru windows, ensuring speedy ordering.  In-N-Out could certainly learn a lot from this.  They also have a window that you can just walk up to for ordering, if you want to sit in the nice outdoor dining area. 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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Getting it All Wrong at Thai Boom

June 11th, 2009 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit
Is this Pla Prik Pao?

Is this Pla Prik Pao?

Living in close proximity, I’ve ordered from Thai Boom tons of times.  I’ve always found it to be a safe bet for Thai food.  The best thing about their menu is that they serve their lunch specials all day.  This covers a wide variety of food, but aldo includes rice and a fried wonton.

Feeling adventurous, I ordered the Pla Prik Pao, which is sauteed roasted curry with basil.  For my meat I chose tofu.  Just kidding, I got chicken.  I picked up my food from the carry-out and brought it home for eating.  When I opened it up, I was a little taken aback.  If this was chicken with curry, it was the strangest chicken and curry I had ever seen.  On top of that, there were peppers, which most certainly were not included with my dish.  It almost distracted me from the fact that there was a tiny little salad in the corner.  Almost. Continue Reading»

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Experiencing Cuba at Versailles

May 22nd, 2009 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit
Two half-chickens in one week...

Two half-chickens in one week...

Having annihilated half of a chicken a few days earlier at Medieval Times, my insatiable desire for meat drew me towards another half-chicken.  This time it was at Versailles, a Cuban restaurant in Palms.  (I really have no idea how a Cuban place is named after a French Palace…)

The menu at Versailles is an unvegan dream.  Sure, there is a “Vegetarian Plates” section, but it seems to be placed as an afterthought, just to appease the poor vegetarian crowd.  Otherwise, Versailles is essentially all meat, all the time.  Because of this, it took me a really long time to decide what I wanted.  In the end, I went with what seemed the safest and had the most catchy name, Versailles Famous Garlic Chicken.  This is an entire half-chicken, with fried plantains and my choice of rice and beans or moro (a combination of rice and beans that makes me wonder why the distinction exists).  Continue Reading»

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Gaby’s Mediterranean

February 2nd, 2009 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit
Green-free schwarma.

Green-free schwarma.

A friend of mine recommended Gaby’s Mediterranean in Palms, so I thought I would check it out.  They have a great outdoor seating area, so I was sure to grab one of those tables to enjoy the unseasonably warm weather we’ve been having in LA.

When I arrived and took a look at the menu, I was a little taken aback.  Despite having many countries along it’s coast, I have always associate Mediterranean food with being predominantly Greek.  Of course, Mediterranean could cover anything from Spanish to Egyptian, and in this case, I found the food to be quite Lebanese.  I was surprised because I typically consider Lebanese food to be Middle-Eastern, but I was also happy because I’ve always liked Lebanese food.  Did I say Lebanese enough in the last few sentences? Continue Reading»

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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.

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Tastes like horse...I think...

What is this?»

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