‘Bacon’
Montana. Big sky country. The land of traffic jams caused by cows. Yes, like very few people before us (based on the lack of a line at the border), we returned from the Great White North through Montana. Billings is a long way from the border, but at some point we found ourselves there and in need of eats. Thusly, we discovered the creatively named Montana Brewing Company.
No self-respecting meat blogger can go to Portland and leave without first paying a visit to Voodoo Doughnut. That’s because Voodoo Doughnut is no ordinary doughnut shop. Not content with simply making a few tasty crullers and eclairs, Voodoo Doughnut has come up with doughnuts topped with just about any ingredient that you could ever want on a doughnut, and some you might not. Think Tang, Cap’n Crunch and weird vegan things that simply seem necessary in Portland. Some are even shaped like dongs, but that’s a whole other story. In my story, the line in front of the place only took about a half an hour, which I was informed was not terrible despite that it was mid-afternoon on a Thursday.
Back in St. Helena is a place called The Model Bakery. And The Model Bakery isn’t your typical bakery. You see, their specialty is a little something that isn’t usually found beyond the grocery store: The English Muffin. That’s right, the dry, flaky, often disappointing breakfast muffin can actually be made outside the Thomas’ factory.
One of the biggest complaints that, like, anyone who moves to LA has is the lack of breweries. And by breweries I mean the micro variety that pump out tasty, local brews. You see, good microbreweries are about more than just beer, they also churn out delicious food. Fortunately, Torrance has a little place called Red Car to fill the void.
May is Burger Month! And while LA is an easy target for jokes of all varieties, the one thing that no one can take away from LA is its amazing burgers. After years of devouring said burgers, I have compiled a list of the 8 best that LA has to offer. The key, though, is that they must be completely unique to LA. Sorry In-N-Out, Tommy’s and 25 Degrees.
8. The Garage – The Garage Burger
The Garage opened up with little fanfare, which allowed its Garage Burger to completely slip under the radar and into my heart and stomach. The combination of juicy beef, sour cherry laquered bacon, cheddar and peppercorn aioli is a pleasant surprise and allowed this newcomer to the burger scene to make an impact.
I can probably be said that any visit to Atlanta without a stop at Waffle House is a failure. This breakfasty 24 hour diner is a staple in the Atlanta area. Furthermore, any trip to Waffle House without has browns is also a failure. Before going any further, I have to admit that I failed at the latter. Be that as it may, take this review with a grain of salt. It won’t be a bad review, but likely won’t be as good as it could have been. Also, I didn’t eat any waffles.
As you may recall, once upon a time I paid a visit to Plan Check for a Stussy event. Despite being limited to a strict menu, I left the place wanting more. Finally, with a long bike ride, that moment came and I seized it. Plan Check, by the way, was started by former Umami Burger chef Ernesto Uchimura. As Umami Burger still resonates within my tastebuds as one of my favorite burgers, it is clear that Plan Check has good pedigree.
The effects of meat on the longevity of humans has been documented before. The late Unvegan Hero Gertrude Baines, once the oldest person in the world, gave credit to bacon. It turns out she may have been onto something big, as centenarian Pearl Cantrell can attest to.
Tucked into the back of the Planet Hollywood hotel in Las Vegas is a creatively named restaurant called Cheeseburger. Seriously. And I really mean that it’s a creative name, because the overall ambiance of the restaurant is not cheeseburgery at all. It’s Hawaiian. But, you know, something about what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.
I’m always up for interesting food combinations. Usually this means mixing meats into wonderful protein concoction, but at Mercato di Vetro in West Hollywood, I was introduced to an especially unique mix of foods. But before I settled on my meal, I got myself a nice look at the entire menu. Menu items were purported to be “small plates,” but carried price tags that said otherwise. Even though I wasn’t paying, I shifted my eyes to food that I could expect to actually fill my stomach with.