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Latest Adventures

Pitfire Pizza, Downtown LA

Comments (0) | Wednesday, March 31, 2010

We frequent Pitfire Pizza for two reasons: good food and location. It is essentially a stone's throw away from our building, and even better, the restaurant offers a "buy-ten-meals-and-the-11th-is-free" program. What's even better that is they gave cards with 9 stamps to all the new building tenants. Its motto, "the crust you can trust" implies that they have great pizza. It also serves up pasta, panini sandwiches, soups and salads. Ironically, however, my favorite dish there is only available in the fall and winter seasons.

That dish is the Short Ribs with Pappardelle. Given my affinity to short ribs, it was an easy pick for me. It's short ribs braised in a red wine sauce, served over fresh pappardelle pasta and topped with grana padano cheese. Simple, yet complex, a perfect marriage of flavor from the beef, wine and cheese. Although the pasta primarily serves as a filler, it is actually quite tasty and cooked to al dente perfection.

Another fall/winter special that I highly recommend is the Chicken and Mushroom Linguine. It's grilled chicken, various types of mushroom tossed in a porcini cream sauce. It is also an excellent choice that won't disappoint. Another must have from Pitfire is their Jumbo Chocolate Chunk Cookie - a gianormous, gooey, rich, decadent, chocolate treat.

Is Pitfire really the crust you can trust? I don't know, but I can tell you that the special pastas are great. Come early because the line forms fast during the lunch rush hour.

Pitfire Pizza, 108 W. 2nd Street, Los Angeles
http://www.pitfirepizza.com/


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Orochon Ramen, Little Tokyo, Los Angeles

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Since we've been to Daikokuya and love the ramen there, we decided to test the product at its surrounding competitors. So we visited Orochon Ramen, located between 1st and 2nd streets behind the Kyoto Grand Hotel. OR was featured on an episode of "Man vs. Food," where Adam needed to finish a bowl of Special 2 Ramen within 30 minutes to be memorialized on OR's Wall of Bravery.

To order, first select the type of broth from the three options OR offers: soy sauce (shoyu), miso or salt (shio). Then choose a spiciness level, which ranges from Level 1 (mild or not spicy) to Level 7 (extremely spicy). Beyond Level 7 are two special levels, 1 and 2, which will apparently burn off the taste buds on your tongue. After selecting the spiciness level, choose any extras to include in your custom made ramen order. Options include cha shu pork slices, hard boiled egg, corn, extra scallions, extra noodles, bamboo shoots, garlic and butter.

On this trip, I ordered shio ramen in Level 4, with two pieces of char sui pork and an egg. Level 4 is considered middle of the road, not too spicy, and not too bland. It was a mixture of noodles, vegetables, wood ear mushrooms, bamboo shoots, scallions and small pieces of pork swimming in a big bowl of steaming broth. At first taste, or slurp, I found the broth to be flavorful and just a little spicy, and wondered if I had enough nerve to try a Special 2. I was disappointed with the noodles, or lack thereof. Everything else in the bowl was so-so, except for the char sui pork pieces that I ordered in addition to the ramen. The pork was melt-in-your-mouth tender and flavorful - it better be, at $1.50 each. I definitely prefer the Daikokuya version.

We also ordered the gyoza dumplings, but quite frankly, it was pretty mediocre. In fact, the entire Orochon experience was pretty mediocre, despite the crowd. I would have much rather waited in line for a counter seat at Daikokuya.


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California Pizza Kitchen, Chino Hills

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On a recent date with my little boy, we went to our usual spot, also known as California Pizza Kitchen, conveniently located at the Shoppes in Chino Hills. We get to spend some one-on-one time together, plus eat some pretty good food, so I always look forward to these dates.

That night, I found out that CPK now features a "Small Cravings" menu, which are smaller portions of appetizers that won't break the bank. Since I was feeling a little bold, I decided to try the Crispy Artichoke Hearts, something I've never had before. Don't get me wrong, I've had Spinach and Artichoke Dip before, I've just never had a dish where artichokes were the star. These were artichoke hearts breaded using Panko crumbs, fried, and served with a remoulade. Having never had this before, I thought they were pretty good, the breading was crunchy, and the artichokes were tender. I thought that the remoulade somewhat resembled a mustard, which was okay, but nothing spectacular. But what blew me away was the fact that the boy who doesn't eat veggies actually ate a few artichokes with me.

Next up was my usual entreé, the Tequila Lime Fettucine, a signature CPK dish. It's spinach fettucine tossed with red, yellow and green peppers, red onions, grilled chicken breast in a jalapeno cream sauce. It is easily one of my CPK favorites because the flavors jump in your mouth. There is a contrast between the tart lime and the sweetness of the cream, plus the spiciness from the jalapeno. The soft noodles is contrasted by the crunchy peppers. It is a good flavor profile overall.
I love coming to CPK because it has many great dishes to choose from. Although I tend to choose pastas over pizza, I would highly recommend trying a few of their creations. You won't be disappointed.

California Pizza Kitchen, 3505 Grand Avenue, Chino Hills
http://www.cpk.com/


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Croissant Bread Pudding

Comments (0) | Saturday, March 27, 2010

Every once in a while, I'll have a craving for bread pudding, and my all-time favorite recipe is the Barefoot Contessa's Croissant Bread Pudding. It's easy to make, and always comes out perfect. I always omit the raisins because I don't like them.

The only modifications I made to this batch were adding a couple more croissants and used dried cranberries instead of raisins. This batch was also particularly special because my little boy helped me whisk the custard together, and he also sprinkled the craisins into the dish. Below is the result.


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Beard Papa's, Little Tokyo, Los Angeles

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A week ago, we braved the California sunshine and went on a short walk to Beard Papa's, located in Little Tokyo. I've heard good things about BP's, a franchise that specializes in cream puffs. That's right, a store whose main product is a cream puff. I had to see and taste for myself.


One would think that it would be extremely simple to order, since it's just cream puffs, right? Nope. It actually took me a couple of minutes to decide, not on what to order, but how many to order. I finally settled on 3 chocolate cream puffs and 3 original cream puffs. The attendant proceeded to take each puff and fill it with fresh cream, and after that, she dusted with with powdered sugar. It's actually pretty cool to watch.

When we got back to the office, I couldn't wait to sample one. I wish I had taken a photo of the vanilla puff, but I was overcome with anticipation, and ate it before even thinking about anything else. The pastry was fresh, crunchy on the outside and flaky moist on the inside. It went perfectly with the smooth, sweet cream. Simply said, it was an awesome combination. Pictured below is the chocolate puff, which was tasty good as well, but I preferred the original puff.
There are many Beard Papa's located throughout the San Gabriel Valley, and I would highly recommend visiting one.


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Chung Ki Wa, Koreatown, Los Angeles

Comments (0) | Tuesday, March 23, 2010

For my good friend's birthday dinner, she chose Korean BBQ, something I haven't had in a long time. Based on her aunt's recommendation, we went to Chung Ki Wa, located in Koreatown. Let me tell you now that I am remiss in taking photos of the feast, and I am sorry to say that I can only say very little about the food we ate because it has been a couple of months. I can tell you, however, that it was good. I guess it only merits another visit for "research" purposes.

As it is a restaurant that proudly features Angus beef (seen on their logo), we ordered the beef kalbi, which are marinated short ribs. Prior to the server cooking the meat, we were treated to ban chan, which are a lot of small dishes comprised of different ingredients (I know, very specific, huh?). What was most memorable to me was the marinated bean sprouts, only because I like the sesame oil that was included in the marinade. But I digress, back to the kalbi. The beef kalbi was cooked in front of us, along with some onions and mushrooms. It tasted so good, the meat was tender and was perfect with rice. It was also perfect with the rice noodle sheets they provide as a wrapper with some of the ban chan items and the sauces.

We also ordered bulgogi and a chicken bibimbap, but I don't have pictures of them. All I can say that it was awesome, and here is what we made with the leftover marinade and items. It was good too.
I promise not to be so vague next time, but if you're ever in the mood for good, authentic Korean BBQ, Chung Ki Wa will not disappoint.

Chung Ki Wa, 3545 W. Olympic Boulevard, Los Angeles


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Bottega Louie, Downtown LA

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I first heard of Bottega Louie in Downtown LA when I was planning my 30th birthday bash, based on good reviews on Yelp!. I ultimately opted to go Vegas instead, but have wanted to try BL since last fall. So on a balmy Monday morning, my husband and I went to BL for lunch, and much to my delight, this was the first image that greeted us:
Upon being seated, we were offered complimentary sparkling water, which in my mind, was awesome. But tasting it was a different story; it tasted like carbonated tap water, which was ok, but not what I was expecting. I also got some berry lemonade, which was nice, sweet and tart, but nothing special, except for the blueberry garnish.
We decided to split one entrée and order several small plates. That was the beauty of this place; you get to sample as many different dishes as you want without having to order full-sized meals. My eyes were immediately drawn to the Portobello Fries; that was a no-brainer for me. I was not disappointed. The light batter was crispy, the mushroom was juicy and flavorful; it was a great texture contrast. The basil aioli that served as dipping sauce further complemented the dish. In other words, it was yummy all around. It’s definitely a must-have when you go.
We also ordered the Fried Calamari, which was accompanied with marinara sauce for dipping. It was quite lovely, the crispy rings of tender squid also made me very happy. Although not quite as good as fried calamari I’ve sampled elsewhere, it was still a solid dish.
The Roasted Asparagus with Fried Egg was also another great dish. It is prepared quite simply; fresh asparagus roasted until crisp tender, laying on a pool of what I want to say is béarnaise and topped with a fried egg and some parmesan shavings. Simple ingredients (except for maybe the béarnaise), but when eaten together, had pleasant complexity in flavor.
If you have been reading the last few entries, then you know of my love affair with Brussels sprouts. You would also know that if it’s on the menu, it will be ordered. It seems that the sprouts that comprise this small dish were braised and not roasted, as they didn’t have the caramelized “skin” typical of roasted veggies. They were served with slivered, toasted almonds, which are supposed to provide a nice texture contrast to the vegetables. Unfortunately, however, that was not the case. It seems like the sprouts were not cooked long enough. The flavors were there, but the texture was not.
Finally, we ordered the Chicken Milanese to share; it was served with an arugula salad and checca, which are fresh tomatoes, basil, mozzarella and garlic tossed with extra virgin olive oil. I thought that the chicken was okay; it didn’t necessarily pack the flavor punch I was expecting. I did, however, like the peppery arugula mixed with the checca.
I simply could not leave Bottega Louie’s without purchasing one of the delectable-looking pastries on display. It came down to monkey bread or a macaroon, and quite frankly, the monkey bread was more pastry for your buck, and I’ve never had monkey bread before. I always thought that it would be gooey and soft, but the top was surprisingly crunchy, like, over baked crunchy. That slightly disappointed me, but didn’t stop me from finishing the whole thing when I got back to work. 
I liked Bottega Louie. I’d definitely go back there, especially for those Portobello Fries. It tends to get very busy during the rush hours, so plan on going early. It is also very noisy, so it isn't a good idea to go there for intimate conversation.

Bottega Louie, 700 S. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles
http://www.bottegalouie.com/


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Pondahan Restaurant, West Covina

Comments (0) | Thursday, March 18, 2010

One Saturday, we visited Pondahan Restaurant, a Filipino restaurant located across the mall in West Covina. My parents seem to like this place, as they talk about it quite often, and like to take people there to eat from time to time. I was excited to try this place and compare it to its rival, Salo Salo Grill, which I love.

We actually ordered quite a lot of food when we were there, as we usually do. For starters, we ordered Shrimp Okoy, which is somewhat like an fried egg pancake with shrimp, bean sprouts and other quick-cooking veggies. It is served with a side of vinegar for dipping. I thought it was decent, but it could have been pulled from the fryer a few seconds before.

We also ordered Lumpiang Shanghai, something most people think of when Filipino food is mentioned. Lumpiang Shanghai contain pork, carrots, garlic, some onion, wrapped up into mini egg rolls using egg wrapper, then fried to golden brown perfection and served with a sweet chili sauce. This is by far the boys' favorite dish, I think they ate most of it.

Pictured below is the Kare Kare, an oxtail stew that includes bok choy, eggplant, chinese string beans in a peanut butter sauce. It is served with bagoong (shrimp paste) on the side. It is usually enjoyed with some steamed rice. Today, we ordered some garlic fried rice, which is great by itself. Although I usually enjoy this dish, it tasted a little bland. Not even the shrimp paste could save it.

I was looking forward to the Pancit Malabon, which is rice noodles cooked with a shrimp sauce and usually includes shrimp, hard boiled egg slices, pieces of pork and sprinkled with chicarron and fried garlic. It is one of my all-time favorite dishes, but again, I was disappointed due to lack of flavor.

But my disappointment was assuaged by this next dish, easily the highlight of the meal, the Crispy Pata. It is a pork leg that is deep fried to golden perfection so you can enjoy the cripsy skin and the tender meat. This was accompanied by some Mang Tomas sauce and some vinegar with garlic for dipping.

Although I thought that it had nice ambiance, overall, I was slightly disappointed by Pondahan; I really had high expectations, especially since my folks really liked it. I think that Salo Salo Grill still stands as my favorite in the area.


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El Tepeyac Hacienda, Chino Hills

Comments (0) | Sunday, March 14, 2010

An East LA landmark has found its way into Chino Hills. El Tepeyac, also known as Manuel's to its loyal patrons, opened a new location in Chino Hills very recently. Okay, maybe it isn't exactly a new branch, but it is very similar to the original Manuel's. It turns out that the Chino Hills location is owned by Manuel's godson, but that is the only relationship between the two restaurants.

Upon arrival to El Tepeyac, we were immediately seated and given chips and salsa. The chips seemed to be stale, and the salsa is definitely not for the weak of heart. It was flavorful, but it seemed that its spiciness completely overpowered the flavors.

I ordered the Hollenbeck special, which is a gianormous chile verde burrito with rice, beans, and guacamole. It is topped with more chile verde, and then sprinkled with lots of cheddar cheese, and put under the heat for the cheese to melt. Again, not something for the weak of heart. I love spicy food, so much so that the husband thinks I've burned off all my tastebuds, but I am finding that I'm becoming less tolerant of heat in my old age. Although the chunks of meat were tender and flavorful, the spiciness overpowered all the great flavors of the burrito. One other thing, make sure you're very hungry when you order this, and any of their burrito specials.

I've been here a couple times since, I've found the food to be mediocre at best, and service to be rather slow.

El Tepeyac Hacienda, 4200 Chino Hills Parkway, Chino Hills


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Steakhouse 55, Disneyland Hotel, Anaheim

Comments (0) | Friday, March 12, 2010

To celebrate my 30th birthday many moons ago, we went to Disneyland because a) it was free; b) I couldn’t think of a better way to spend the day with my boys. We planned on hitting Goofy’s Kitchen buffet at the Disneyland Hotel, but alas, it was closed to repair some kind of kitchen malfunction. Rats! Sorry, Mickey.

We settled for Steakhouse 55, which is located next to Goofy’s Kitchen. At the time, there weren’t very many people there, which should have been indication enough. But I was hungry and slightly cranky due to the fact that our reservation to GK had been futile.

So the boys got “special” Mickey pancakes with fruit and a side of yogurt. I personally thought that the pancakes I make them at home taste better and less dry.

I got French toast served with sausage, eggs and breakfast potatoes. Honestly, there was nothing memorable about it; it could have easily been confused with the French slam at Denny’s.
The husband got Steak and Eggs, 8 oz. of strip steak served with eggs, breakfast potatoes and two pieces of toast. The meat was cooked well, but again, nothing memorable about it.
At least the boys got to go on King Arthur’s Carousel and Dumbo.


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Phoenix Food Boutique, Rowland Heights

Comments (0) | Monday, March 8, 2010

On the rare occasion that we’re both home on a day off, the husband and I like to go out and eat. So with our second plus one in tow, we ventured into Rowland Heights, to one of Phoenix Food Boutique’s many locations. My BFF had been raving about Phoenix forever; it seems to be office’s Chinese takeout go-to. I had actually gone to the PFB in Arcadia on my last Din Tai Fung run, but only purchased some to go items such as milk and egg pudding.

Okay, let me just say, the combination of milk, sugar, eggs and probably some gelatin, never tasted so good. It was rich, creamy, and ultimately, very satisfying. It was creamy goodness in a cup; so much so that it piqued my curiosity on PFB’s savory offerings. Phoenix or bust!

On this adventure, we ordered enough to feed an army, but that is beside the point. First up is the beef fried rice for the little one. If his appetite is any indication of how the dish tasted, I must tell you that he devoured a whole bowl. The world’s most finicky eater literally ate a whole bowl, and wanted more. So take that for what it’s worth. I felt that it was the typical fried rice dish you can find in any respectable Chinese restaurant.
We also got the Hong Kong Style Beef Flat Rice Noodle, which translated into layman's terms means Dry Beef Chow Fun. While it was good, again, it was the typical chow fun dish with pieces of beef, onion, and scallion sauteed with flat rice noodles and soy sauce. It was served with the chiu chow hot sauce, which is my favorite, so needless to say, that disappeared not-so-mysteriously.
Next up, the House Special Stir Fried Noodle was one of the more impressionable dishes that we ordered. It was egg noodles, with pieces of chicken, shredded duck, bean sprouts, onion and scallion, sauteed and served piping hot. Although I think it may have used a little more salt, it was an overall solid dish, because the flavor of the duck really came through. This was also served with a small container of the chiu chow hot sauce goodness.
Because one rice dish and two noodle dishes weren't enough, we also ordered the Mayonnaise Shrimp with Glazed Walnuts. It is, simply put, lightly battered shrimp that is deep fried and then tossed into a sweeter version of mayonnaise, served with honey glazed walnuts. This delectable shellfish and nut combination was served with a cup of white rice. The crunch from the batter and from the walnuts provided a good texture contrast to the creaminess of the mayo and the juiciness of the shrimp. I must say, however, at the risk of stating an oxymoron, I wish they served bigger shrimp.
After stuffing ourselves with carbs, what else could we possibly want? Why, fried food, of course! We ordered the Deep Fried Dim Sum Platter, which consists of three pieces of shrimp roll, siu mai, curry chicken pastry puff and sweet bun. The shrimp roll was simply awesome - great texture contrast between the crunch wrapper and perfectly cooked shrimp. The siu mai made me realize why deep fried siu mai isn't very common. I think that the diner is given a very small window to consume the siu mai, otherwise the crunchiness is gone, and we missed that window. The curry chicken puff was so-so, it reminded me of an hors d'ouevres course at a wedding reception. The sweet bun was a nice surprise, because it was served with some condensed milk, which I initially mistook for a runny mayonnaise. Sheesh.
To further wallow in our gluttony, we also got the Garlic Chicken Wings. When I say "garlic," I'm not kidding; they load up the garlic. But it had a nice flavor, garlicky, with a hint of ginger. The pefect, crispy skin made me a very happy diner.
To wash down the carbs and the deep fried food, we taste tested several specialty drinks. One was the Fresh Fruits Tropical Iced Tea. When PFB prints something on the menu, they don't mess around. What I got was iced tea infused with chopped up pieces of fruit swimming in the tea. I think I bit into pieces of apple and pineapple. It was very fruity, tangy and refreshing.
I also wanted to try the Milk Tea Tapioca, which, in my opinion, was disappointing. It tasted bitter, and there was just a funky, indescribable aftertaste to it. Not even the goodness of the chewy tapioca could save the tea. The husband chalked it up to the tea being steeped too long.

He ordered the Taro Coconut Milk Tapioca. It was very tasty, with mini pieces of tapioca and taro at the bottom that enhanced the milk tea. It was so good, that I even contemplated trading with him, but I knew from the look on his face that it was never going to happen.

Finally, the milk and egg pudding. Two of them. Which I took home. And savored.

Phoenix Food Boutique is a great place to go for reasonably priced good Chinese food. You won't be disappointed. I might even give the milk tea another shot. But definitely try the dim sum platter, and the milk and egg pudding.

Phoenix Food Boutique, 18166 E. Colima Road, Rowland Heights
http://www.phoenixfoodboutique.com/


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El Caserio, Silver Lake

Comments (0) | Thursday, March 4, 2010

To further pursue my desire of being more adventurous this year, I accepted the invitation to El Caserio from a friend for lunch to celebrate another friend's birthday. It serves authentic Ecuadorian food, which was something I have never had the pleasure of sampling.

El Caserio has two locations in Los Angeles; the original restaurant is located at the intersection of Temple and Virgil, and presumably, after finding success, the owners opened a more upscale version on Silver Lake Boulveard. When I walked in the original El Caserio, I found the place to be somewhat charming, and the menu items to be tantalizing.

Our server brought us fresh warm bread, along with some butter and some salsa. The bread was almost immediately consumed by the entire group because it was really good, that, and we were pretty hungry. It was crispy on the outside and pillowy tender on the inside. Add a pat (or two) of butter, and we're in business. You also had the option of dipping the bread in some homemade salsa, but let me warn you, the salsa is not for the weak. Two words describe the salsa: zesty and fiery.
After several rounds of wavering from one item to the next, I finally chose the Churrasco, also known as Bistec a lo Pobré. It is charcoal broiled flank steak served with french fries, rice, a fried egg, plantains and a small side salad. The meat was very tasty, well marinated and seasoned. I really liked the crunchiness of the fries and one can never go wrong with a fried egg, in my opinion. I could have sworn that they added some butter to the rice, because there was an added flavor to it, which I loved, and the plantains were also very yummy. The salad, however, was lacking - it was lacking dressing. But the little bit of dressing I tasted was good.
My buddy ordered the Carne Apanada, which was breaded steak served with rice, tomatoes, fried plantains and a potato patty. One bite of the Ecuadorian version of chicken fried steak almost made me wish I had ordered it instead. It was very well seasoned.
Another friend ordered the Camarones Tricolores, or in other words, shrimp sauteed with olive, red and green peppers, garlic, onions and parsley, and served with rice and fried plantains. I personally thought that the shrimp was slightly overcooked, but it had really great flavor.
Yet another friend got the Petto de Pollo alla Milanese, which was breaded chicken breast with potato patty, rice and encebollado, which I gathered to be some type of pickled onion. Unfortunately, I did not get to try this.
I did, sample a piece of the Lomo Saltado, which was steak sauteed with fresh tomatoes, onions, cilantro and served with French fries and rice. The steak was very tender and very tasty, even tastier than the other pieces of meat I've had.

It was overall a great lunch, and I would definitely go back again.

El Caserio, 309 N. Virgil Avenue, Los Angeles
http://www.elcaseriola.com/


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Claim Jumper, Brea

Comments (1) | Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Sunday night dinner ranges from the usual Chinese take out to sitting down for a meal at a chain restaurant. The other night, the entire family convened at the Claim Jumper in Brea because Buca di Beppo was packed. There are a few reasons why I like CJ:

1) Lots of (good) food.
2) Extremely kid-friendly. They have special placemats for little tykes, as well as a complimentary plate comprised of turkey roll, cheese, applesauce, crackers and oranges. That, in my opinion, is excellent service.
3) Wide selection of appetizers, drinks and entrees.
4) Lots of (good) food, and leftovers for days.

I ordered the Prime Rib Dinner, served with roasted vegetables, a choice of one side (I chose potato pancakes), and bread (I chose the apple cinnamon muffin). The prime rib was cooked the way I liked it, roasted vegetables were seasoned well, and the potato pancakes were nice and crisp. The one thing I didn’t like about the sauce on the potatoes was the bits of raw onion. It would have been so much better without the onion Also, the creamy horseradish that was served with the meat tasted more like sour cream than horseradish, and the au jus was a little on the salty side. It was still good, though. The star of the show, though, was the apple cinnamon muffin, moist and crumbly, and simply divine with butter.

With bellies stuffed, we proceeded to take home an enormous amount of food, with a piece of the Motherlode cake to boot. Service was great; our server took care of us well, and was attentive to the table’s needs. I haven’t had a bad experience with Claim Jumper’s food, either at the restaurant or with the leftovers at home (I had some of my husband’s beef ribs, pictured below. They were yummy, and I felt guilty for eating them).
Claim Jumper, 190 S. State College Boulevard, Brea
http://www.claimjumper.com/


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Tony-n-Pete’s and Lost Souls Café, Downtown Los Angeles

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Yesterday, my friend (who loves, loves, loves hot dogs) and I went on a noble quest for Downtown LA’s finest gourmet hot dogs. We had a flyer for Big Ed’s Gourmet Hot Dogs, which was basically a cart located in some alley. Focused on our mission, we prepared to hit the pavement with our heels in search of the proverbial needle in the haystack. Luckily for us, our knight in shining armor, or hybrid car from the motor pool, swept us off our feet and joined us in our merry cause. Long story short, we found the alley and the cart, with many thanks to our “knight.”

It turns out that Big Ed became Tony-n-Pete, an alley cart in the Old Bank District. They serve customized hot dogs and sausages, plus sandwiches, among other things. I ordered the Cahuenga, which is a jumbo beef hot dog with sautéed onions, chili pepper, sauerkraut and brown mustard. Having never had sauerkraut before, that was an adventure in and out of itself for me. The hot dog was pretty tasty and juicy, the sauerkraut the perfect complement. I wish that the onions were cooked longer, because I think that caramelized onions with that hot dog would have been sublime.

Our adventure led me to stumble upon Lost Souls Café, hidden in Harlem Alley. It serves breakfast and lunch, and is definitely a place worth checking out. I ordered a Velvet Latte, subconsciously thinking that it would taste like a red velvet cupcake with caffeine. To my dismay, it was essentially a glorified tea latte that tasted mediocre, at best. I think that further scrutiny is required for Lost Souls. Below are a couple pictures of the cafe itself, plus what my Velvet Latte looked like when we got back to the office.

Tony-n-Pete, 116½ W. 4th Street, Harlem Alley Food Cart, Downtown LA
Lost Souls Café, 124 W. 4th Street, Downtown LA
www.lostsouls.com


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