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

‘Seafood’

The Crabfeast Cometh (and Goeth)

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Don't struggle, you'll just make it worse.

It was a perfect day on July 18th, 2010, the kind of day on which the Manifest Destiny that led us to Southern California seemed determined to fulfill its promise, unfurling a crisp blue sky unmarred by cloud or haze. There was heat, sure, from the brilliant sun lighting every corner of the sprawling pitch, fresh and newly restored green after an early-summer blight brought on by prolonged dog-sitting, but it was tempered by a cool breeze bearing that distinctively salty sea air.

It was a day made for joy, for leisure, for flying a kite or laying out on a brightly-colored towel along with that Victorian-era novel you always meant to read but for which you could never quite find the time until now. But today was not a day for joy. It was a day for battle.

It’s a Bacon Bash

Guest blog courtesy of Joel Danto and Bacon.

If your mouth isn't watering, you may be dead.
If your mouth isn’t watering, you may be dead.

December 4th was a very momentous day. You may be wondering, just as my people do during Passover, “Why is this night different from all other nights?” Well, friendos, prepare to be shocked and possibly appalled, as I have done something completely reprehensible. I…ate…bacon. And I didn’t just eat bacon, I threw a BACON BASH — complete with a six course menu. Yes, if it existed, I would probably be going to Jewish Hell, which likely consists of strapping me to a chair and making me watch Joan Rivers television shows on repeat with a bagel, cream cheese and lox slightly out of reach. Hopefully this is a Hell that few will ever have to experience.

Taking Advantage of DineLA @ Royal/T (CLOSED)

Phallic often?
Phallic often?

From the outside, Royal/T looks more like a Japanese art gallery than a restaurant. The inside isn’t much different until you realize the women in the anime-style outfits are actually waitresses and the tables set up aren’t simply for a small cafe attached to a gallery. Since I knew ahead of time that Royal/T was a restaurant, I was actually surprised to find how much of the space was dedicated to the art. It gave the restaurant quite a unique atmosphere, which is great, but I was there for the food.

Since it’s restaurant week, I avoided the regular menu and only looked at their set menu. Check it out here. I started with the Crispy Spicy Tuna, got the Hanger Steak Frites for the main course and was planning to finish with the fresh fruits and vanilla custard. Unfortunately they were out of this dessert and I later learned that they ran out of the Kobe Beef sliders. To make up for the lack of dessert, though, they allowed us to order any dessert from their menu, so I chose the cheesecake.

Tasting the Coast at Legal Sea Foods

Just cant get away from the veggies.
Just cant get away from the veggies.

After hearing so much about seafood in Boston, we finally got the chance to test it out with a visit to Legal Sea Foods. We were told it was a “very Boston” thing to do, and that was really all we had to hear.

When we arrived and saw that there are Legal Sea Foods restaurants located all over the East Coast, we a were a little disappointed. I guess it wasn’t simply a Boston thing. Still, I could not penalize the restaurant for someone else leading me on.

Going Greek at Papa Cristo’s

Octopus for all
Octobabies!

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.

On the Water at Brophy Bros.

unvegan brophy bros.
Very bro-like

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.

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.

Something Fishy at Captain Kidd’s

A fishy taco
A fishy taco

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.

A Couple Rolls at Sushi Mashiko

Why would anyone want cucumbers?
Why would anyone want cucumbers?

Despite my not being the biggest fan of sushi, I found myself at Sushi Mashiko in Culver City one night to once again eat some raw fish. Sushi Mashiko was in a very nondescript location in a strip mall without any real sign. I only found it when I looked inside each store front and saw a small sign with the word “Sushi” on it. The place was supposed to be really great, so instead of ordering some sort of chicken or noodle dish, I decided I may as well test out their sushi.

After a long look at the menu sushi menu, I decided on two decent-looking rolls: softshell crab and tuna avocado. Since I would be the only one partaking in my personal sushi, I ordered mine uncut so I could turn the sushi into finger food.

Eat Fish, You’ll Thank Me Later

Here’s a study that’s sure to please those supposed vegetarians who eat fish. It seems that eating fish reduces the risk of getting dementia. This shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise, considering all the other great benefits that are associated with eating fish. Fish Oils and Omega 3 already help the heart and the brain, so it just follows suit that eating fish reduces the chances of getting dementia.

For unvegans, it’s just one more bit of good news to propel us into eating yummy animals. For vegans, though, this is some pretty bad news. The upside for the vegans is that at least once they get dementia, they probably won’t be able to remember how good meat tastes.

(via Examiner)

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