Cured Meats – The Unvegan

7/22/2018 Events Chandler

Hash Kitchen in Chandler’s Grand Opening

I’m going to say something unpopular. Bloody Marys are the worst. Tomatoes suck, celery sucks and there’s just something weird about spicy drinks. But I must say that I am glad that Hash Kitchen has made the big bucks off of having an incredible Bloody Mary bar. Why? Because it has enabled them to expand out to Chandler for their latest Grand Opening. And because I got to snag a bunch of the meats and cheeses from the Bloody Mary bar to decorate my beer. It may be frowned upon normally, but at the Grand Opening anything goes. As expected, the bacon was the best.

Breakfast Brunch Carnitas Chandler Cured Meats Donuts Doughnuts Eggs Events Fried Chicken Hash Kitchen Meat Phoenix

10/3/2017 Reviews Scottsdale

Chomping Down on Chompie’s

Creating Jewish deli meat is like a perfect combination of art and science. Some delis have found the ideal balance, while others are more content to satisfy the science part of it all and move on from there. I paid a visit to Chompie’s in Scottsdale to see how it would measure up against my admittedly high standards for Kosher-style delis.

Brisket Chompie's Cold Cuts Corned Beef Cured Meats Delis Jewish Pastrami Phoenix Restaurants Sandwiches Scottsdale

9/28/2017 Reviews Phoenix

Spinning Around Compass Arizona Grill

There was a weird time in history when revolving restaurants became popular. Only one of these, at least as far as I understand, also was a Playboy Club back in the day, and that was the Compass Arizona Grill on top of the Hyatt in Downtown Phoenix. Today, it serves as kind of a throwback steakhouse, there to remind you how cool rotating restaurants once were, while trying to adapt to the modern palette.

Beef Calamari Compass Arizona Grill Cured Meats Downtown Phoenix Phoenix Restaurants Seafood Steak Steakhouse

7/20/2017 Reviews Ho Chi Minh City

Locally Sandwiching at Banh Mi Huynh Hoa

Look, I’ve already confessed to not being the biggest banh mi guy, but that doesn’t mean I was not eager to find the most badass banh mi that Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) had to offer. Therefore, I knew I had to make my way to Banh Mi Huynh Hoa. The internet informed me that the lines could often be massive, but that they would mostly be filled with locals. But I had a little trick in my back pocket.

Asia Banh Mi Huynh Hoa Cold Cuts Cured Meats Ho Chi Minh City Saigon Sandwiches Travel Vietnam Vietnamese

3/5/2017 Reviews Pasadena

Seasonally Delicious at The Eatery

The Eatery in Pasadena is undoubtedly one of the city’s hidden gems. It’s off the beaten path and in a building that seems much more likely to house a Mexican grocery store than a fancy restaurant (in fact it does share the building with such a store). But once inside the candles, dim lighting and intimate ambiance scream non-pretentious fanciness. Of course, none of this would matter to me if the food didn’t satisfy my unvegan desires.

American Cured Meats Los Angeles Pasadena Restaurants Short Ribs The Eatery

2/21/2016 Reviews Pasadena

Pork and Booze at Celestino

Pork and booze are easily two of the greatest things that can be consumed on the planet, if not just two of the greatest things in general. Celestino in Pasadena is fully aware of this and has combined them in a pasta dish worth writing about. It is called the Pennette Con Prosciutto e Vodka, but it may as well be called Paradiso.

Celestino Cured Meats Italian Los Angeles Pasadena Pasta Pork Prosciutto Restaurants

11/20/2015 Events

7 Years of Unvegan!

A lot can happen in 7 years. You could meet a woman, call her your girlfriend for a while, then fiancee, then wife and then mother of your child. You could move from LA to Pittsburgh to and then to Pasadena, with a brief sojourn into Buffalo. Or you could, you know, start a meat-centric food blog and keep it going for as long as Brad Pitt spent in Tibet.

Cheese Cured Meats Sandwiches Unvegan

5/15/2015 Reviews Montréal

Smoked Meat at Schwartz’s

The Jewish influence on Montreal’s food scene goes beyond the bagels and into the realms of meat. Specifically smoked meat and there is no better-known place to get the smoked meat than at Schwartz’s, which has been making the stuff since 1928. Today Celine Dion weirdly has some sort of ownership in the place, but I went hoping this had little to do with the popularity.

Canada Cured Meats Delis Montreal Quebec Restaurants Sandwiches Schwartz's Deli Smoked Meat Travel

3/26/2013 Reviews Culver City

Pure Carnage at Wildcraft

Just a couple of weeks ago, a new pizza place opened in Culver City called Wildcraft. Their schtick is the use of sourdough in their pizzas, which is cool with me, but I’m not sure if it entirely qualifies as being wild. Nonetheless, I was eager to try it out and see just how wild and crafty it would be.

Culver City Cured Meats Italian Los Angeles Meatballs Pepperoni Pizza Restaurants Sausage Wildcraft

12/5/2012 Reviews Los Angeles

Couponing to Campagnola Trattoria (CLOSED)

Sometimes it’s hard to decide where to eat. Sure, I have a list of places, but they aren’t always in convenient locations. That’s when I turn to things like Groupon, because if I’m going out to eat somewhere I’m unfamiliar with, I’ll be damned if I pay full price. On this particular eve, I found a discount for an Italian place in West LA called Campagnola Trattoria.

Campagnola Trattoria Cured Meats Gnocchi Italian Los Angeles Malloreddus Pasta Restaurants West LA

The Unvegan

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‘Cured Meats’