The Unvegan

Recent Posts

10 Years of Unvegan
A Quick Bite at Burrito Express
Serendipity at Northern Waters Smokehaus
Twerks and Burritos at Casa Amigos

‘Restaurants’

Nearly Scenic at Rainforest Restaurant

Mmmm steak and eggs.
Mmmm steak and eggs.

Zimbabwe’s Victoria Falls National Park has one restaurant. It’s called Rainforest Restaurant in reference to the incredible rainforest across the Zambezi river from the falls that only exists because of the mists of the falls. In truth, it should be called a mist-forest, but that is neither here nor there. What is there is a little restaurant with a decent variety of options. Well, sort of.

Quite a Mouthful at Soba Sojibo (CLOSED)

So much soba.
So much soba.

Yakisoba is likely my favorite Japanese food. Yet, yakisoba is rarely every made from real soba, which is a buckwheat noodle. Real soba, though, is highly underrated, typically coming in third when people think of Japanese noodle dishes (ramen and udon first). This is a shame, because soba boasts a truly unique texture and flavor. Fortunately in Torrance (and now in West LA), there is a restaurant dedicated completely to soba called Soba Sojibo.

Upscale Atlanta at Buckhead Diner

So much better than Buckeye diner.
So much better than Buckeye diner.

Driving around Buckhead, Atlanta aimlessly attempting to find dinner on a Sunday night, we happened upon Buckhead Diner. Looking like it was pulled straight off of Route 66 in the 1940s on the exterior, Buckhead Diner’s valet-style parking lot betrayed something a little grander indoors. We pulled up to check out the menu and learned that this was nothing like a greasy spoon, and much more like upscale dining.

A Tourist Treat at the Boma

Splayed lamb anyone?
Splayed lamb anyone?

Sometimes you travel somewhere and despite every fiber of your being, you realize you simply have to be a tourist. And I don’t mean going to Paris and seeing the Eiffel Tower. The Eiffel Tower was built, and people came. No, I’m talking about places that exist for the sole purpose of attracting tourists. In Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, one of these places is the Boma.

In The Garage Where I Belong

Maybe this will help the acoustics.
Maybe this will help the acoustics.

Having a new bar open up in walking distance is always awesome. Even if it is terrible, it is comforting knowing you can get drunk locally and stumble home. And if it doesn’t suck, it can be a place to become a local. So when The Garage opened up in Palms, I was so damn excited that I went pretty much immediately, but being opening weekend I gave them some time to work out their kinks before a real judgment. This is the real judgment.

Devouring Delmonico Steakhouse

I guess it's an Emeril restaurant...
I guess it’s an Emeril restaurant…

Steakhouses are generally reserved for special occasions, which are few and far between. On one hand, this is a good thing, because steaks are meant to be appreciated. I, of course, would appreciate a steak everyday but I get it. On the other hand, it makes it tough to truly compare steaks. I mean, how does a steak tonight measure up against one from months back? It’s hard, but I try my best knowing that my steak from Mastro’s is where the bar is set. Enter: Delmonico Steakhouse in Las Vegas.

Searching for Heat at El Paso Cantina

Where's the spice?
Where’s the spice?

Deep down in Torrance, there is an old Mexican restaurant called El Paso Cantina. Among my coworkers it’s known as the “$1 Margarita lunch” spot, but seeing as it does indeed serve food, I thought it deserving of a review. In addition to their margaritas, they also have a food lunch special and $1 churros. I’ve had these before and while they were pretty good, the options were quite limited. This time I was looking for more.

The Okonomiyaki of Gottsui

Oh my nomiyaki.
Oh my nomiyaki.

It’s not every day you get an opportunity to chow down on some okonomiyaki. Of course, it’s not every or even every millennium that you even hear the word okonomiyaki. While not nearly as famous as just about any other Japanese food, okonomiyaki is equally, if not more awesome. My first taste of okonomiyaki goes back to my days of studying abroad in Japan. It was described to me as “Japanese Pizza,” which it is, as long as your only requirements for pizza are for it to be edible, flat and have toppings with no regard for the ingredients.

Elegant Simplicity at Holeman and Finch

More than 24.
More than 24.

Every night on a street called Peachtree in Buckhead, Atlanta, something strange happens. At Holeman and Finch Public House exactly 24 burgers are prepared and served on a first-come-first-served basis. The idea is that such a perfect burger takes time and is impossible to create in mass. How they arrived at 24 is anyone’s guess, but why not? Yet, despite their insistence on limiting burgers, there is a loophole. It’s called Sunday Brunch.