The Unvegan

9/29/2009 Reviews Boston

Curried Away at Wagamama

unvegan wagamama — This might be the prettiest picture I’ve taken.

While in Boston for a long weekend, I took the opportunity to check out how people eat on the other coast. My first chance to sample the “local fare” came at Wagamama, an international Japanese food chain originally from England. Ok, so it wasn’t exactly local, but Boston is New England, so I made due with what I had.

Our waiter was a low talker, making it difficult to ascertain what he was trying to say at any given moment, but eventually we all figured out when it was time to order. After a long look at the menu, I settled upon the Chicken Katsu Curry, which is some fried chicken cutlet, rice and curry. It also came with “mixed leaves and red pickles,” which I tried to convince the low talker that I didn’t want.

Boston Chicken Curry Japanese Meat Quincy Market Restaurants Travel Wagamama

9/25/2009 Reviews Los Angeles

Sampling My Way to Rotisserie Works (CLOSED)

I love it when sides are bigger than the main course.

For a pre-movie dinner, I found myself at the Century City food court once again and looking for something new. Some of the competitors in the food court have found the best way to bring in new customers: sampling.

I will sample almost anything put in front of me, as long as it has no vegetable qualities. You wouldn’t buy a car without giving it a test drive, so why buy a meal without knowing how it will taste? Well obviously, this isn’t always possible, but when it is I think it’s great to take advantage.

The Rotisserie Works offered me a sample of their Hawaiian BBQ chicken and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It had a nice sweet BBQ taste with the hint of some pineapple-like fruit. After a few other tastes, I decided the Hawaiian chicken would be filling my belly that evening. The order of chicken came with two sides, and I looked at the menu with mild distaste. All but two of the sides had words like “squash,” and “spinach,” so I ordered their mashed potatoes and mac and cheese.

BBQ Century City Chicken Food Hawaiian Los Angeles Malls Meat Restaurants Rotisserie

9/24/2009 Reviews Los Angeles

Going Greek at Papa Cristo’s

I had wanted to go to Papa Cristo’s for a long time, but I just didn’t realize it. You see, the outside of the restaurant/market really makes no major reference to the name of the place. Instead, it just says “Greek Food.” When my friend suggested trying it, I complied without realizing it was the place I had driven by so many times.

Inside, the place has a miniature Greek market, a counter to order food at and a big room that can double as a dining room or banquet room. My first stop was the counter to place my order. We ordered some of the Octapodakia appetizer, which is grilled baby octopus. I also ordered the Kreatopita, deliciously described on the menu as a meat pie. For my main course, I decided to get back to the Greek basics and ordered the Gyros sandwich. This came with lettuce and tomatoes, so I ordered it without.

Downtown Greek Gyros Koreatown Los Angeles Meat Mediterranean Octopus Papa Cristo's Restaurants Seafood

9/23/2009 Heroes and Villains

Dogs: Unvegan Heroes

A man's best...meal? — A man’s best…meal?

A recent report from the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm has shed a new light on the history of the domestication of dogs in the world.

It seems that dogs weren’t originally intended to be man’s best friend. Instead, they were most likely domesticated to be man’s next meal.

According to the New York Times, “[a] single domestication event seems to have occurred in southern China…[where]there is a long tradition of eating dogs…”

Dogs Domestication Food Heroes and Villains Man's Best Friend Meat

9/23/2009 Reviews El Segundo

Wrapping at The Tavern on Main

I had never been to The Tavern on Main for food before, as I had always thought of the place as more of a bar than a restaurant, yet I wasn’t going to turn it down when I found out some people were going.

We sat in a back room, which almost looked like a real restaurant, despite the fact that you still had to go through the bar area to get there.

I deliberated with the menu for quite a long time, since a lot of the burgers and sandwiches looked really good. Ultimately, thought, I decided I needed to add some spice to my meal, so I ordered the Buffalo Chiicken Wrap, which came with bleu cheese, lettuce, tomato and ranch dressing. The lettuce and tomato would not make a good unvegan meal, so I ordered without. The wrap also came with a side order, so I asked for the mac and cheese.

Bar Food Buffalo Chicken California El Segundo Los Angeles Meat Restaurants Sandwiches The Tavern on Main Wraps

9/22/2009 Reviews Santa Barbara

On the Water at Brophy Bros.

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.

British Brophy Bros. Brophy Brothers California Fish Fish and Chips Restaurants Santa Barbara Seafood Travel

9/18/2009 Reviews Santa Barbara

Getting Cheesy at Mad Dogs (CLOSED)

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.

Bacon California Cheese Fries Hot Dogs Mad Dogs Meat Restaurants Santa Barbara Travel

9/17/2009 Heroes and Villains

King Curtis: Unvegan Hero

A few of my loyal friends enlightened me to the existence of this wonderful video circulating the interwebs. It is a clip taken from the life-destroying reality show known as Wife Swap. This particular episode features a delightful little boy who humbly refers to himself as King Curtis. His new mother, Joy, has taken it upon herself to rid the house of junk food (ie. good food) and King Curtis wants nothing to do with that.

As Joy is about to throw away the bacon, King Curtis declares, “Bacon is good for me.” It seems he is a little unvegan in the making.

Bacon Heroes and Villains King Curtis Wife Swap

9/17/2009 Reviews El Segundo

Not Quite Sushi at Kaya Sushi

If it weren't for those tomatoes... — If it weren’t for those tomatoes…

When you walk into Kaya Sushi, there is a massive glass waterfall blocking your way. Do not be deterred, though, because you can easily circumvent this waterfall by walking to the left or right. If you make it past, you’ll find yourself in the posh new sushi restaurant in El Segundo.

The place had an apparent brush with Korean as well as Japanese, since the lettering in their logo was distinctly Korean and there were even a few Korean items on the menu. Their sushi roll list was quite extensive, but I managed to find the least sushi-ish dish on the menu for myself.

Cheese El Segundo Fish Japanese Kaya Sushi Korean Los Angeles Restaurants Seafood Sushi

9/16/2009 Reviews Redondo Beach

Something Fishy at Captain Kidd’s

Captain Kidd’s in Redondo Beach is kind of a combination of a fish market and a restaurant. I typically wouldn’t find myself in a place like this, but unforeseen circumstances led me there.

I am typically not the biggest fan of fish, and some of my fans may have noticed the lack of seafood in almost all of my posts. The big reason for this is the smell of fish. I have heard that if fish smells and tastes “fishy,” it means it’s bad. I don’t like taking that sort of risk with my food and usually prefer to eat more meaty and less smelly animals.

Captain Kidd's Fish Los Angeles Market Redondo Beach Seafood Tacos

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