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

‘Steak’

10/9/2009 Los Angeles

Bamboozled

Just what the bamboo ordered.
Just what the bamboo ordered.

Hidden behind faux bamboo stalks that protect the restaurant from the noise pollution of Venice, you would expect Bamboo to be a sort of Asian-inspired restaurant. Going in with these expectations, you’d be surprised to find that Bamboo is a Caribbean and Latino inspired restaurant, but you definitely won’t be disappointed by the food. Bamboo’s outdoor seating area has a nice and comfortable ambiance that would make it a great date spot.

The menu is a nice range of options, from pizza to seafood. I found my own personal niche in the steak section and chose the Milanesa a La Bamboo Breaded steak. This was topped with mozzarella, sauteed tomato, garlic and spices. I asked the waiter if I could get mine without the tomato and he seemed very surprised at the prospect. He then explained that this wasn’t just going to be some pile of tomatoes on the plate, but actually a tomato sauce. I rescinded my request and awaited my meal.

Read More

10/8/2009

Cats: Unvegan Heroes

Many pet owners and vegetarian activists fail to realize that cats are obligate carnivores. This means that they can’t digest their food if it isn’t composed of animal flesh. Despite this, it is rare that you actually see cats act like the true carnivores they are, the carnivores that are related to lions, panthers and tigers. While growing up, my cat would occasionally catch a bird and drop it on our porch as a gift, showing that house cats really do give in to their carnivorous instincts sometimes. Otherwise, many cats have grown fat and pampered.

The video below should prove to any unbeliever that cats want nothing more than some good meat. Watch it and enjoy!

Read More

10/7/2009 Japan

Strange Meats: Kobe Beef

Mmm marbly.
Mmm marbly.

Kobe Beef is a world renowned form of meat that seems to have taken upon mythical status. It is exotic, yet signs for Kobe beef can be found everywhere. Technically speaking, most of the “Kobe Beef” outside of Japan isn’t really Kobe beef at all. The correct term for this is Kobe-style beef, which employs similar concepts but isn’t quite the same. Many restaurants just say Kobe beef because no one really knows the difference and to tell customers the difference would scare off potential buyers. True Kobe beef is only made in the Hyogo prefecture in Japan, which the city of Kobe is the capital of.

The best way to get real Kobe beef is to go straight to the source, Kobe, Japan. I was lucky enough to find myself in Kobe one day, so I didn’t have to add a thousand dollar plane ticket onto what would already be the most expensive steak of my life.

Read More

7/17/2009 Los Angeles

A Late-Night Mess at Norm’s Diner

Which part of the Mignon is this filet from?
Which part of the Mignon is this filet from?

A long night of drinking compelled me to head to Norm’s Diner in West LA. Of course, this decision wasn’t the best I’ve ever made, but my decision of what to eat at Norm’s was a far worse one.

When I walked in the door, their specialty of the night/morning was on display and even a long look at their long menu couldn’t take my mind off of it. The special was a Filet Mignon, with eggs, hash browns and pancakes. Yes, pancakes. Whoever thought of this one was clearly on something that made him happy and delirious. Best of all, it was a whopping 10 bucks.

Read More

6/11/2009

Another Reason to Love Steak

The Daily Mail in the UK just released information about the affect of steaks and other red meats on male semen (as opposed to female semen, ewwww). The conclusion is that it decreases the quality of the semen and makes them slower. It actually makes it much more difficult for men to conceive. It’s funny, because the article makes this information out to be a bad thing. Well, I’m not planning on becoming a father anytime soon, which means it’s time for me to eat all the steak I can get my hands on. Talk about a natural contraceptive. This is the best news I’ve gotten since studies showed Mountain Dew decreases the sperm count.

Read More

4/13/2009 Culver City

Sticking it to the Veggies at Tender Greens

A very high potato to meat ratio.
A very high potato to meat ratio.

Heading into Tender Greens, I was expecting the worst. I couldn’t believe that a restaurant had the audacity to put the word “greens” in it’s name. I almost felt myself burning as I crossed the threshold.

Inside, I saw the menu, which included an array of salads, but luckily there was a “Hot Stuff ” menu, with meats. I decided to get the Angus Flank Steak. Each dish came with mashed potatoes, a salad and garlic bread. When I placed my order, I asked if I could get double the potatoes and no salad. The woman seemed baffled and I must admit I felt a little bad for asking for a greenless meal at Tender Greens.

Read More

2/27/2009 Rancho Mirage

Piero’s Acqua Pazza (CLOSED)

That steak's got balls...of mashed potatoes.
That steak’s got balls…of mashed potatoes.

It seems that the only three things to do in The Desert are swim, golf and eat. This is by no means a bad thing, as there is no shortage of good restaurants.

With my father and two grandparents, I went to Piero’s Acqua Pazza, an Italian-ish restaurant. I say “-ish” because they offer much more than traditional Italian food. The night I was there, they had a three-course special, which included a starter, main course and dessert. The price was unbeatable because it included the filet mignon, which actually cost more on the regular menu without the other courses. A true meat-loving family, we all wanted the filet. After making that choice, I checked out the starters, which to my behest, only included vegetable dishes. I scoffed at this and decided it was still worth the three-course meal.

There was still one last hoop to jump through, the filet came with a side of mashed potatoes and a vegetable medley. 

Read More

2/20/2009 Las Vegas

Rio’s Carnival World Buffet

To this little unvegan, few things are more incredible than a buffet. Where else can a man choose from such a vast collection of meat products? Whoa, are there vegetables in the general vicinity of this chicken dish? Too bad, I guess I’ll just move on to the next one. A buffet is a place of choice and almost literally a microcosm of the fulfillment of the American Dream.

As the dream goes, there is no greater collection of delicious buffets than in Las Vegas. It’s no stretch to think of Vegas as the buffet Mecca, and the Kaaba in this Mecca must surely be Rio’s Carnival World Buffet.

When I was seated, I didn’t even take the time to sit down, as I just threw my jacket on my seat to begin my feast.

Round 1: Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese and a meatball.

Round 1
Round 1

There was no need to take it slowly. It is a fact that it takes twenty minutes for the mind to realize that the stomach is full, so I had to get as much food as I could before my crazy stomach decided it was full. Since I had been drinking all day, I went straight for the fried food. The fried chicken was a good heavy hitter to coat my stomach. The mashed potatoes were great as a side, featuring a healthy amount of butter and even some cheese. The single meatball stood strong for a loner, while the only disappointment was the mac and cheese, which needed a lot of salt and loving.

Read More

2/9/2009 Buellton

The Hitching Post II

It's not BBQ, but it sure is a steak.
It’s not BBQ, but it sure is a steak.

Hidden away in the city of Buellton in Santa Barbara County is popular little restaurant called The Hitching Post II. This, of course, is the sequel to The Hitching Post I. I don’t know when restaurants started getting sequels, but I hoped this sequel was more along the lines of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze than Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights.

They claim to have the world’s best BBQ, which I had my doubts about, having eaten BBQ in Kansas City. Nonetheless, I ordered the 10 oz. Prime Top Sirloin Steak, cooked medium, which is from Cornfed Midwestern Beef (does this make the meat eerily similar to corned beef?). The steak came with a choice of rice pilaf, mashed potatoes and french fries. I went with the fries because of of the winos from nearby Los Olivos recommended them. Next was the tricky part, because it also came with a choice of soup, salad and shrimp cocktail (I got to choose two).

Read More

Previous Page
Next Page
cURL error: Could not resolve host: schema-pro.com