Classic Canadian Fast-Food December 17, 2006
Posted by starbright31 in Food Memories, Outisde Los Angeles.add a comment
From November 23 through November 30, I had the pleasure of going to my second home away from home, Canada. While it was great to see my family again, I was more excited about my reunion with what I’ve been craving for since my last visit in December 2001, Canadian fast food. And most importantly- poutine.
Poutine (pronounced, roughly, poo-teen, or poo-tin; exact Québécois pronunciation in IPA [pʊʦɪn] — listen to it in .wav format) is a dish consisting of french fries topped with fresh cheese curds and covered with hot gravy (usually brown gravy) and sometimes other additional ingredients. The curds’ freshness is important as it makes them soft in the warm fries, without completely melting.
Poutine is a fast food staple in Canada; it is sold by many fast food chains (such as New York Fries and Harvey’s) in the provinces, in small diners and pubs, as well as by roadside “poutine trucks” and “fries stands”.
Poutine is available in only a few places outside of Canada, including the northern United States and a handful of Canadian-themed restaurants and pubs throughout the rest of the world. Some popular Canadian travel destinations (such as Mexico, Florida, and Taiwan) are also known to have poutine available, but only sporadically or at the behest of Canadian expatriates. – Wikipedia
Now when I mention poutine to friends and family, I get a 70/30 response of “Ewwwww! That sounds gross!” over “Mmmmm, that sounds awesome.” Of course, I prefer the latter. And when I go into detail of what poutine is, I gush over how that combination of hot gravy and melted cheese work so magnificently with French fries. The following are pictures of poutine I had during my recent stay:
This was purchased at the local Costco in Burlington. The cheese was too cold and the gravy wasn’t hot enough to melt most of it. The fries, however, were excellent as they were crispy around the edges and steaming hot.
“SHOT.” YOUR NEW FAVORITE 4-LETTER WORD. September 25, 2006
Posted by foodies in Bars, Outisde Los Angeles, Places to go when you're drunk, Trendy / Hipster.add a comment
Location: 923 8th Ave (Cross Street: Between 54th Street and 55th Street)
New York, NY 10019 View Map
Phone: (212) 245-3212
I’d like to think that I’m an organized person and I have my jet-setting trips planned to the second. So of course I’ve scheduled a night to get completely fucked up and when my bestfriend Peter told me about a place that specializes in nothing but shots and not metion accessories–I said nothing and simply nodded my head and let him lead the way!
Silver stars dangle throughout narrow, red-walled saloon, perhaps foreshadowing what the local and after-work crowds will be seeing after they throw back the bar’s 100-plus different shots. Five plasma screens flash with sports, while a digital jukebox plays everything from ’80s hair bands to modern pop. Creative shots, which are typical of the namesake city, run different prices.
Essential Orders:
Since I had no idea when the hell I was ever going to be back under such cheap circumstances (ahem, staying for free at a friends’ place) and not to mention, knowing someone in the inside, Peter and I were especially feeling adventourous in choosing what we were going to drink.
Being a bit shy and awkward in a new place, we tried their new “Snakes On a Plane” shot. It was on special for $3!
You can’t see it that well, but there’s a lemon rind that’s supposed to be the snake! If the owner is making it–he’ll do his bestest Samuel L. Impression!
One that I tried was “The Top Gun Shot”. You wear a hat and dark glasses while “Danger Zone” plays in the background. Get a friend with you and he gets to be your ultimate wingman–Mother Goose!
“The Jose Conseco Shot”- Straight from a syringe–Need I say more?
“The Monica Lewinsky Shot”–No Cigar, but then again, no hands either.
Oh, and did I mention there’s a wig involved?!
“Truth Syrum”–For the Ladies
And the craziest one of all–”The Full Metal Jacket Shot”.
Yes, girly-style the push-ups were–I at least was able to do 10!
Alright, soldier!
Now, for this one, I have no idea what the hell I was going to get myself into. But when I put an army helmet on and my bartender not only did 2-3 shots of Seagrams’ for extra confidence and started shouting commands and I quickly threw back a shot of Wild Turkey and then proceeded to do 10 pushups on a floor–a bar floor, and I got up quick again and threw back another shot of Wild Turkey, I did not know that they were going to take it that far! Thank god I’ve been working out for the past 4 months. I knew that would come in handy. Thank god I didn’t look like some chicken-shit weakling.
Service: 10 out of 10. The bartender was very nice and personable. She also made the drinks very well.
Things to Know:
- 5 IMPORTANT WORDS: THE BARS CLOSE AT 4 a.m.
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Save Money-Each week a new batch of shots goes up for a $3 pricetag all the time, but daily happy hour from 4pm to 7pm also means $3 drafts, $4 bottled beers, $4 well drinks, and $5 Guinness. During Yankee games, pitchers of Bud Light are $12.
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No food is served, but the bartenders are happy to let you bring outside meals in.
Chinatown-New York Style September 25, 2006
Posted by foodies in Cash Only, Chinese, Outisde Los Angeles.add a comment
Chanoodle Restaurant
Location: 79 Mulberry St., New York 10013 (Btwn Bayard & Canal St.)
Phone: 212-349-1495
One of the places that I’ve wanted to visit in New York was Chinatown. The last time I was in New York I was about 4 years old and honestly don’t even remember if I went there or not, but I did want to go and experience the hustle and bustle. I love the smells of the spices and the scent of vases and rugs. There’s something about that scent that takes me back to when I was 5 years old eating an egg custard pie, wearing MaryJanes and playing with toy guns chasing my brother throughout the streets of Chinatown. So therefore, I was definately psyched to be walking the streets down there.
Peter and I were real lucky to find this place. Since we did not know where to eat we pretty much relied on how American friendly, clean and if there were ANY newspaper clipping from the Times or the Voice and Chanoodle had both!
The place is a bit small for a Chinese restaurant. Only several 4-top tables. The menu however is very vast and American-friendly at the same time.
Service: 8 out of 10. The staff was very cordial. I figure if you go to big cities such as Vegas or NY, the staff should always be nice, but this staff was extremely nice. They even boxed the leftovers, which is always a plus!
What to Get: First of all, I order several dishes that I always have to get, and the first and foremost that I got was their peking duck. Since it was only Peter and I, we got the half order. To tell you the truth the half order is enough, even for 3 people. The set up was very nice; a plate of thinly sliced meat and skin and another steamed dish of buns and a bowl of hoisin sauce and scallions. The best part was that the waitress even made the duck right at our table!
Peter was loving their fried rice. The one thing that I really did love was that they used white meat. Yeah, I like white meat more than dark. Like my men! (J/K!) Anyway, Peter said that he really loved it because they didn’t have carrots.
I also got their House Special Chow mein. Their noodles were crunchy and hot, but unfortunately the sauce needed more salt. It was bland.
Things to Know:
- Cash ONLY.
- There are TONS of great little shops to visit!
Ohhh….exotic fruits in Chinatown…ah shit, I feel like Rachel Ray
- Like Chinatown, but hate the food? Little Italy is just a few blocks away!
An Italian firehydrant?
The sites and shirts of Little Italy. Yes, a little picture crazy.
Jamie Does Nathan–er I mean Nathan’s August 31, 2006
Posted by foodies in American, Cash Only, Cheap, Fast-food, Hamburgers / Hot Dogs, Outisde Los Angeles.add a comment
Nathan’s Famous Hotdogs
Location: 1310 Surf Ave., Brooklyn, NY
So for the past week I’ve been in NY. This trip has been planned MONTHS in advanced. I think I deserve it–after all, I’ve finally made it to LEVEL 5 and it feels awesome. To be honest, I had no idea what the hell I was going to do in New York, but I definately knew where I wanted to eat!
Since 1916, Nathan’s Famous has been serving Coney Island the best in hot dogs. Now almost 90 years later has become an institution in the state of New York and overseas!
Service: 7 ot 10. The lady that had helped us was real nice and even though the place is constantly packed, they know the value of urgency and understand the demands. Not really tableside service, more like counterside. Pretty much fast food, but truly fast and fresh.
Things to Know:
-Their public restroom is the ONLY decent place to take a piss in. And other than the bathrooms in Astroland where there are rides and such, it’s also FREE.
-Don’t go to Coney Islands just for the hot dogs (even though that was the only reason I went there). They also have an amusement park, a beach and tons of other really cool sites.
What we ordered:
First and foremost, 3 words; Fresh squeezed lemonade
Good God, their fries are a thing of beauty. Since business is constantly moving the fries came HOT. They were crispy on the outside and potato-y in the middle. My bestfriend Peter got regular, I, being the adventourous one got the Creamy Garlic and my, my, my, I wasn’t disappointed. The fries were slathered with buttery garlic goodness…And let’s not mention the cute pitch fork that you can use to eat them and then use as a weapon if need be!
And of course, I got their chili cheese dog. The dog itself was SO good. These dogs truly popped with the first bite. Nice saltiness, not dry at all. The buns were steamed and not stale or hard at all. I was really hungry since it was a long subway ride from Queens so I pretty much wolfed it down, I should have taken the time out to truly savor it.
My only reserve was that the chili was a bit much, and I didn’t know it had beans, which I really am biased towards since I like my chili without beans. I also didn’t know that they serve only grilled onions, which I pretty much scrapped off, I’m more partial to the raw ones to offset the texture. Another thing was the condiment/hot dog ratio was a little excessive too so by the end my hot was one big mess.
But all in all, Nathan’s is definately a must for the Hot-Dog Lover. It’s like a football player going to the Super Bowl–except for Foodies.
Fine dining in the Real OC June 15, 2006
Posted by starbright31 in Bougie, Mexican, Outisde Los Angeles.1 comment so far
Las Brisas
Location: 361 Cliff Drive, Laguna Beach, CA 92651
Type of food: Mexican
"The Real OC" is the tagline of the MTV show, Laguna Beach. I never thought I'd find myself in this city, let alone actually dine there. But after spending about an hour or two in this small coastal city, I can understand why so many rich people would be building their multi-million dollar palaces in the hills. When you're there, you feel like this is what Southern California's supposed to be like- quaint shops, picturesque beach view, clean streets, nice people, great restaurants.
I was enroute to San Diego, excited and anxious to watch one of my favorite bands that I've talked endlessly about on my blog, We Are Scientists. I was with my partner in crime for all W.A.S. adventures, Megan, and she suggested stopping in Laguna Beach since she knew the area well and used to visit her grandfather all the time there.
After finding out that her first choice of where to eat was closed for construction, Megan suggested we eat at Las Brisas. I was intrigued to go there mainly because of the view we'd be getting while we were eating there.
The view is the first thing Las Brisas boasts about on their website, and rightfully so:
It's a majestic view of the beach. And while this above is a view during sunset, here's what we saw during the day:
Although it wasn't 12:00 anymore, it was still busy outside and we couldn't snag a table at their outdoor area. But sitting inside was still great, and we could see the beach and we even saw dolphins jumping around.
But enough about the view, the food exceeded my expectations. It was moderately priced for a Mexican restaurant and very similar to what I'd pay at El Torito. And the ambience there is fantastic. The set up of their tables is formal, and you don't get tortilla chips as a starter. They had bread rolls, with the choice of cornbread or small rolls with bits of olive in it.
I ordered a combo of a halibut taco, spanish rice, black beans and a beef tamale was about $13.
Megan ordered a chicken tostada salad:
I couldn't get over the presentation of this salad.
And the food, as pretty as it all looked, was so delicious. I usually don't order fish tacos outside of what my mom makes at home and what they have at Rubio's, but surprisingly, the halibut wasn't too dry, and it was very flavorful. I almost always order tamales at any Mexican restaurant I go to, and this was also very delicious. The meat was tender, and the masa wasn't dry or bland. I was struggling to finish both my taco and tamale, and only ate maybe five bites of my rice. It was a very filling meal all together.
Service: 10 out of 10 – Our server was attentive and very polite. I was about to give a 69.5 out of 10 on this one, as she kinda flubbed with forgetting to bring the soup I ordered. But not only did she suggest to bring me one free of charge, she gave me one in the most perfect size for a sample of it. If I had this soup in a smaller cup, it would've been such a waste.
It was a chicken curry soup. I don't usually like food with coconut in it, but this wasn't bad at all.
Essential order: I would say that halibut taco was essential, but I have to say that I had the absolute BEST Arnold Palmer there. It's not that it's a hard drink to make, but what they offered me was perfect. They even gave me an extra bottle of lemonade too.
Price: Be willing to spend at least up to $15-$20 for yourself for lunch, and I'd say $30-$40 for dinner. It's not that the dinner menu was that pricey. I just imagine a perfect dinner there would be to get one of the $20+ entrees, appetizer, nice glass of wine, and possibly some dessert.
Thing to know:
- Expect a long wait time during peak hours, especially if you're set on dining outside.
