Meat – Page 5 – The Unvegan

10/12/2011 Reviews Los Angeles

Breaking the Fast at Greenblatt’s

After a long day of repenting and fasting, I needed a good Jewish meal to remind my body and mind what eating felt like. Since we were attending a comedy show later that night at The Laugh Factory, we decided to go to an ancient little deli next door called Greenblatt’s. And when I say ancient, I meant it’s been there since 1926. That means when my grandma was living in LA in the late ’40s, it was already old and she remembers its existence. To survive for 85 years anywhere, let a lone a big city where change is the only contant is quite impressive. I was eager to find out what kept Greenblatt’s ticking and to satiate my fully empty stomach.

Corned Beef Delis Greenblatt's Jewish Los Angeles Meat Pastrami Restaurants Sandwiches West Hollywood

10/11/2011 Reviews Los Angeles

In the Woods with Simon LA (CLOSED)

To celebrate yet another Dine LA Restaurant Week, we found ourselves at Simon LA in the Sofitel Hotel in Beverly Hills. I’m not usually one for restaurant ambience unless that ambience is dingy and dirty, but I really appreciated the way that Simon LA was decorated. In our little booth, we were seated near the middle of the restaurant, yet felt like we were in our own little world because the booth was half-surrounded by some really cool woodsy decor. Not like backwoodsy, but modern and classy. I looked at both the Dine LA menu and the regular menu, then quickly came to conclusion: Dine LA was dead to me.

Beverly Hills Los Angeles Mac and Cheese Meat Meatloaf Restaurants Simon LA Sofitel Hotel

10/7/2011 Reviews Las Vegas

Bewitched by ‘Wichcraft (CLOSED)

In the depths of the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, there is a multitude of fancy restaurants just waiting for the eating. But wanting to get on the road and needing a quick bite, we made our way to a sandwich shop called ‘wichcraft. I liked the nice little pun they used there, and also thought it might be a Tom Colicchio restaurant because of the “craft” used in the name (I later confirmed this, but I must confess I didn’t know who Tom Colicchio was until a few minutes before settling on ‘wichcraft).

'wichcraft Las Vegas Meat MGM Grand Nevada Prosciutto Sandwiches Travel

9/29/2011 Reviews Los Angeles

Grand Slamming at Papaya King (CLOSED)

Right around the time that Coney Dog was hitting LA straight out of Detroit, Papaya King was also making its way to the West Coast by way of some other city called New York. Never heard of it. Billboards glowed with the words “Papaya King,” yet this native Detroiter largely ignored the hot dogs of New York in favor of those from his native land. But when a Blackboard Eats discount for 30% off came around, Papaya King could no longer be ignored. I gathered a couple hot dog-loving friends and hit the road for Hollywood.

The first thing that should be made clear about Papaya King is that there are absolutely no papayas in the hot dogs. Yes, this is a little disappointing, but there is still very good reason for the name of the place. It is actually named for the papaya juice served there, which predated the hot dogs at the original New York location. That papaya juice is still important, but not nearly as much as the hot dogs.

Hollywood Hot Dogs Los Angeles Meat New York Style Papaya King Restaurants

9/27/2011 Reviews Los Angeles

Two Boots Pizza for the Soul

As I walked towards The Echo in Echo Park for a night of dancing to soul music, I passed a little joint called Two Boots Pizza and just knew that by the time the night had ended their pizza would make its way into my extensive digestive system. So when the wee hours of the morning found me stepping out of The Echo, I stepped right into Two Boots and got a looksie at what they had to offer. Although they sold whole pies, a quick look at their slices told me I would be ordering by the slice. These slices were some of the most unique I had seen in a long time, perhaps in forever.

Echo Park Italian Los Angeles Meat Pizza Restaurants Sausages Two Boots Pizza

9/20/2011 Reviews West Hollywood

Sketching Out at Hollywood Pies (RELOCATED)

EDIT: I haven’t been back since they moved into a real place, but the experience here was so special I’m not sure it’s worth it.

You make a call and show up in a back alley 45 minutes later. When you arrive, your guy comes out carrying about five pounds worth. You hand him your cash, then take your purchase wherever you want and inhale it. If this sounds like a drug deal to you, get your mind out of the gutter. Unless your drug is pizza, in which case you should head to this back alley in West Hollywood immediately. This is the way it works for Hollywood Pies, the sketchiest pizza place in LA you’ve never been to. You may have eaten their pizza, and you may have even picked up their pizza, but you have never been there because there is no “there.”

Chicago-Style Pizza Italian Los Angeles Meat Meatballs Pepperoni Pizza Sausages West Hollywood

9/9/2011 Reviews Los Angeles

The Valley Goes Gourmet with Laurel Tavern

From here it looks like any other burger.

Gourmet burgers and their associated gastropubs have been predominantly the domain of LA’s greater west side. Father’s Office, Umami Burger, Comme Ca and The Foundry all have roots on the west-ish side. So when I heard Laurel Tavern in Studio City was not only a gastropub, but had a burger worth writing home about, I was surprised. Gourmet burger? In the wretched valley? I had to try it out. And try I did. More than once. You see, Laurel Tavern is not the easiest place to get into. Not because of some dress code or something stupid like that, but because they simply have an extremely small space. On weekends, it’s nearly impossible to get in unless you show up mid-afternoon. But when I heard some friends were going on Labor Day, I felt my odds were pretty good and I ventured out to Ventura Boulevard.

Bar Food Bars Burgers Gastropubs Hamburgers Laurel Tavern Los Angeles Meat Studio City

9/8/2011 Rants and Raves

An Unvegan Twitter War

It began with a simple Twitter @ reply. You know the kind that happens every day. But soon it spiraled into something no one could have ever seen coming.

DrEthan725 Meat Rants and Raves Twitter Vegans

8/25/2011 Reviews Los Angeles

A New Beginning at Taco Plus

Moving to a new place is never easy. Driving habits and living habits have to change, but more importantly, eating habits have to change. This can be easy for some, but when you have a meat blog it can be tough to say goodbye to the Taco Bell that once resided across the street. But it is also an opportunity to try new things, so as I woke up on my first real weekend in my new place, I realized it was time for a stroll around the area in search of food. Quickly, I found Taco Plus.

Burritos Carne Asada Los Angeles Meat Mexican Palms Restaurants Steak Taco Plus

8/22/2011 Reviews Los Angeles

Picturesque at Picca Cantina

Not knowing what I was in for, and being led to believe that I was heading out for a night of cheap cocktails and free food, I headed to Picca Cantina on Pico. Unfortunately, although I had been promised free food, a miscommunication led to food being regularly priced. But this regularly-priced food still looked quite good and the bartender gave us our first round of drinks for free to apologize for the confusion. The menu consisted of some great-looking Peruvian dishes with a bit of a tapas flair. I ordered myself a Cusquena beer and then we got busy with ordering food.

Chicken Los Angeles Meat Peruvian Picca Cantina Restaurants South American Steak

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