‘Steaks’

Classing it Up at The Tar Pit

January 10th, 2012 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

What resides within my gnocchi?

Once upon a time, I read an interesting review of The Tar Pit on LAist.  It wasn’t exactly positive, but it only covered their happy hour and seemed to be more concerned with Chef Mark Peel’s children running around than with the food itself.  Most disheartening, though, was Peel’s comments to the review.  Needless to say, such a big time chef should not have been so concerned about one bad review and his concern made me less likely to go than the review itself.  Yet, to The Tar Pit I went, and I was glad for it. Continue Reading»

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The Over-Peppering of The Capital Grille

February 1st, 2011 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

Just look at all that pepper.

Found in or around malls all around the country, The Capital Grille is a reliable, upscale steakhouse and I’ve never met anyone who isn’t a fan.  So the combination of the girlfriend’s parents visiting and an awesome coupon led us to grab some dinner at the aforementioned grille.  Despite having a reservation, we still ended up waiting a good 15 minutes for our table, then finally took our seats. Continue Reading»

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A Late-Night Mess at Norm’s Diner

July 17th, 2009 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit
Which part of the Mignon is this filet from?

Which part of the Mignon is this filet from?

A long night of drinking compelled me to head to Norm’s Diner in West LA.  Of course, this decision wasn’t the best I’ve ever made, but my decision of what to eat at Norm’s was a far worse one.

When I walked in the door, their specialty of the night/morning was on display and even a long look at their long menu couldn’t take my mind off of it.  The special was a Filet Mignon, with eggs, hash browns and pancakes.  Yes, pancakes.  Whoever thought of this one was clearly on something that made him happy and delirious.  Best of all, it was a whopping 10 bucks. Continue Reading»

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Sticking it to the Veggies at Tender Greens

April 13th, 2009 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit
A very high potato to meat ratio.

A very high potato to meat ratio.

Heading into Tender Greens, I was expecting the worst.  I couldn’t believe that a restaurant had the audacity to put the word “greens” in it’s name.  I almost felt myself burning as I crossed the threshold.

Inside, I saw the menu, which included an array of salads, but luckily there was a “Hot Stuff ” menu, with meats.  I decided to get the Angus Flank Steak.  Each dish came with mashed potatoes, a salad and garlic bread.  When I placed my order, I asked if I could get double the potatoes and no salad.  The woman seemed baffled and I must admit I felt a little bad for asking for a greenless meal at Tender Greens.  Continue Reading»

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Piero’s Acqua Pazza

February 27th, 2009 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit
That steak's got balls...of mashed potatoes.

That steak's got balls...of mashed potatoes.

It seems that the only three things to do in The Desert are swim, golf and eat.  This is by no means a bad thing, as there is no shortage of good restaurants.

With my father and two grandparents, I went to Piero’s Acqua Pazza, an Italian-ish restaurant.  I say “-ish” because they offer much more than traditional Italian food.  The night I was there, they had a three-course special, which included a starter, main course and dessert.  The price was unbeatable because it included the filet mignon, which actually cost more on the regular menu without the other courses.  A true meat-loving family, we all wanted the filet.  After making that choice, I checked out the starters, which to my behest, only included vegetable dishes.  I scoffed at this and decided it was still worth the three-course meal.

There was still one last hoop to jump through, the filet came with a side of mashed potatoes and a vegetable medley.  Continue Reading»

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Rio’s Carnival World Buffet

February 20th, 2009 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

To this little unvegan, few things are more incredible than a buffet. Where else can a man choose from such a vast collection of meat products? Whoa, are there vegetables in the general vicinity of this chicken dish? Too bad, I guess I’ll just move on to the next one. A buffet is a place of choice and almost literally a microcosm of the fulfillment of the American Dream.

As the dream goes, there is no greater collection of delicious buffets than in Las Vegas. It’s no stretch to think of Vegas as the buffet Mecca, and the Kaaba in this Mecca must surely be Rio’s Carnival World Buffet.

When I was seated, I didn’t even take the time to sit down, as I just threw my jacket on my seat to begin my feast.

Round 1: Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese and a meatball.

Round 1

Round 1

There was no need to take it slowly. It is a fact that it takes twenty minutes for the mind to realize that the stomach is full, so I had to get as much food as I could before my crazy stomach decided it was full. Since I had been drinking all day, I went straight for the fried food. The fried chicken was a good heavy hitter to coat my stomach. The mashed potatoes were great as a side, featuring a healthy amount of butter and even some cheese. The single meatball stood strong for a loner, while the only disappointment was the mac and cheese, which needed a lot of salt and loving. Continue Reading»

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The Hitching Post II

February 9th, 2009 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit
It's not BBQ, but it sure is a steak.

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»

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Cafe Brasil

January 21st, 2009 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit
My steak has been buried under onions...

My steak has been buried under onions...

Cafe Brasil is one of those restaurants that has always been elusive to me.  I have driven or walked past it in Palms countless times, but never gotten up the courage to step inside.

Never more.

I finally took the plunge and stepped into the Cafe.  At first I was confused by the place.  There are three different seating areas.  One is inside, one is semi-outside, and one is for real outside.  I found a table in the semi-outside, but then realized I had to order at a counter.  Ordering at a counter always puts a lot of pressure on the consumer, especially if they don’t know what they are going to order.  Under this deep pressure, I went with every unvegan’s default choice, steak.
Continue Reading»

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Turkish Food Week, Part IV: Orient Restaurant

January 15th, 2009 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit
Steak from Oriental in Cappadocia

Steak from Oriental in Cappadocia

In the frozen wasteland of Cappadocia, the man running my cave hotel recommended a restaurant close by, called Orient.  It was a short trek, but froth with difficulties like ice and snow.  After a few slips and close brushes with icy death, I made it inside.

I checked out the menu, remembering that the guy at my cave had recommended the steak.  After a short glance, I found the “Minute Steak.”  The name wasn’t terribly specific and I wondered what it could possibly mean.  Did it take a minute to cook?  A minute to eat? Maybe it was minute in the sense of being small?  Perhaps it was Turkey’s version of Minute Maid?  My curiosity got the best of me and I ordered. Continue Reading»

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Coco’s

December 4th, 2008 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

Fruit makes for an excellent vegetable replacement.

Fruit makes for an excellent vegetable replacement.

Coco’s and I have a long and interesting history.  A few years ago, I lived in Japan and a Coco’s was attached to my building.  Coco’s (pronounced Cocosu in Japanese) was a Japanese attempt at American food and despite the fact that it wasn’t at all like American food, it was still pretty decent.  We had a healthy relationship and I even had the frequent diner card.  When I returned from Japan, Coco’s and I took a break, we couldn’t handle the distance and I had no knowledge of Coco’s in America.  That all changed when I found a Coco’s on Pico and Robertson in LA.  I went in with great expectations that would be impossible to meet. 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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