The Unvegan

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»

One Comment

British, Brophy Bros., Brophy Brothers, California, fish, fish 'n' chips, food, restaurants, Reviews, Santa Barbara, Seafood

Getting Cheesy at Mad Dogs

September 18th, 2009 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

Nothing green here.

After a long day of drinking in Santa Barbara, I stumbled upon a little hole in the wall joint called Mad Dogs. Hot dogs were their specialty, which was perfect for me to soak up the remains of the day.

They had a variety of hot dog choices to please anyone, and I decided to do a little custom thing. I ordered a bacon and cheese dog with a side of cheese fries. Apparently I am not afraid of destroying my arteries in one sitting. Continue Reading»

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Bacon, California, Cheese, food, fries, hot dog, Hot Dogs, mad dogs, meat, restaurants, Reviews, Santa Barbara

The Original Rinaldi’s Italian Deli

March 11th, 2009 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

A sandwich of dreams

Conveniently located on Main Street in sunny downtown El Segundo is The Original Rinaldi’s Italian Deli. From the outside, you see that Rinaldi’s is a no-frills, old school deli.

Inside it’s no different, with plastic chairs and seemingly foldable tables. The menu on the wall has enough unvegan delicacies to delight even the most casual carnivore. Steak, turkey, bacon, sausage and more adorn the various sandwich descriptions, making it hard to decide the appropriate meat for the moment. As soon as I saw the Fatboy, though, I knew it had to be mine. The ingredients were sausage, beef meatballs, pepperoni, marinara sauce and (provolone) cheese. I ordered the 10″ rather than the mildly girlish 6″. Continue Reading»

3 Comments

Delis, El Segundo, food, Italian, Los Angeles, meat, restaurants, Sandwiches, Santa Barbara

When Vegetables Attack: Foraging

March 10th, 2009 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

Touch, but don't eat.

The forest looks like a starving man’s dreamland; a virtual cornucopia of food. Greenery and growth is everywhere. It is so alive, and seemingly so edible. Sure, there are plants in the forest that can be eaten and potentially digested, but the taste alone should be enough to drive anyone away.

Now there is even more cause to fear wild plants: death. According to the AP, a man recently passed away after eating wild (amanita ocreata) mushrooms in Santa Barbara.

While tragic, this just goes to show that vegetables are out to kill. To make matters worse, he had picked the mushrooms so he could eat them with a steak. This certainly ruined what could have been a perfectly good (and safe) meal.

In the wild, as in the real world, vegetables must be considered a dangerous threat. How many more lives do they have to take before we all join together and say “Enough!”?

One Comment

Amanita Ocreata, Danger, foraging, mushrooms, Rants, Santa Barbara

The Hitching Post II

February 9th, 2009 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

It's not BBQ, but it sure is a steak.

Hidden away in the city of Buellton in Santa Barbara County is popular little restaurant called The Hitching Post II. This, of course, is the sequel to The Hitching Post I. I don’t know when restaurants started getting sequels, but I hoped this sequel was more along the lines of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze than Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights.

They claim to have the world’s best BBQ, which I had my doubts about, having eaten BBQ in Kansas City. Nonetheless, I ordered the 10 oz. Prime Top Sirloin Steak, cooked medium, which is from Cornfed Midwestern Beef (does this make the meat eerily similar to corned beef?). The steak came with a choice of rice pilaf, mashed potatoes and french fries. I went with the fries because of of the winos from nearby Los Olivos recommended them. Next was the tricky part, because it also came with a choice of soup, salad and shrimp cocktail (I got to choose two). Continue Reading»

2 Comments

American, BBQ, food, meat, restaurants, Santa Barbara, Steaks

Rants and Raves

Meat Doping

October 4th, 2010

Tastes like doped meat.

There is no question that meat is performance enhancing. The protein helps build muscles, the iron helps the blood flow and the vitamins of the B variety just generally keep the body functioning. Try getting all that from a vegan salad. But even though meat clearly enhances performance, there is only one man who has claimed it as a drug: Alberto Contador.

UNVEGAN FANS: HELP STUDENTS LEARN ABOUT DELICIOUS FOOD!

Future Foodies!

HYPE is a non-profit organization that works directly with low-income middle schoolers and their teachers to provide students with the guidance and resources needed to qualify for admission and succeed at top private schools in the Los Angeles area. We provide our students with engaging and unfamiliar experiences to broaden their horizons. A large part of building this cultural capital is by having our students try a wide variety of new foods. This pushes our students outside of their comfort zones and encourages them to take risks in a fun (and tasty!) way. Last summer, our students tried Ethiopian food, sushi, Korean BBQ, deli, and schwarma, just to provide some examples.

We want your help, Unvegan fans, to increase our students’ knowledge about the world around them by enhancing their culinary experiences. We greatly appreciate your support to provide a meal to our group of 15. With your donation, you will be opening delicious doors for an amazing group of students! Please click on the link below to contribute to your favorite cuisine to a great group of kids!

Ethiopian Food
Sushi
Korean BBQ
Deli
Schwarma
Seafood
Indian Food

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