FOOD MARATHON

New Food Marathon Site, Please Update Your Links

2009-01-22T09:14:00.000-08:00

I've switched over to http://www.FoodMarathon.com
Please update your links, bookmarks, blogrolls, etc.

The Fancy Food Marathon

2009-01-21T08:06:00.000-08:00

The good people at Foodzie bestowed upon me such a great honor that a simple blog post can't do it justice. I was allowed to join them at the Fancy Food Show in San Francisco to serve as an additional stomach and palate for the team. The vast convention featured 80,000 healthy and fattening, natural and chemical, chocolates, cheeses, frozen meals, chips, candies, teas, pickles, patés, cookies, olive oils, curries and more tastes than a food marathoner could dream of. Overall it was a brilliant whirlwind of eating from 10am-5pm.
I was on sauce detail for Foodzie and my favorite was San Angel Mole. Cooking mole is a complex task, which Foodzie can attest to. With 20 ingredients it's imperative that each one is fresh. San Angel's flavors were strong, and it's the subtle difference between their red and black varieties that stood out in my mouth.
I wasn't impressed with that many hot sauces because I have an affinity for Marie Sharps (who unfortunately were not in attendance). Half Moon Bay Trading Company's lines of Iguana and Bee Sting hot sauces were good. They had distinct flavors that rose above the tomato-based options throughout the show.
The other decent salsa company was Xochitl, who were one of the few sauce makers to actually sell a tongue-searing habanero salsa- the rest were masked behind other flavors.
Also, to all the salsa companies, enough with the mango/habanero salsa people- I get it, the sweet cuts the heat. However, it's boring and everyone else is doing it. Are mangos really the only other fruit in the forest?

My overall recap:

- Blue Cheese Chocolate?I haven't posted about The Bazaar's foie gras cotton candy yet, but if food items could fall in love with each other I found the cotton candy a stunning bride. Lillie Belle Farms' Smokey Blue Truffles were easily the best tasting bites of the convention. They were unique, smooth, evenly balanced and demand that everyone try them as soon as you can. The result of extensive gag-inducing tests, this was the type of innovative thinking I wish I'd seen more of at the show. Their spicy chocolate covered caramelized almonds were terrific as well.

- Spain 's Super Kick A chorus line of Ibérico Pork legs thronged the aisles of the Spanish section of the south hall. The current home of the world's best restaurants held the title belt high at the show, boasting more foot traffic than Italy and France combined.

- Ghost Ride the Dip (that's a bay area rap reference....) Dave shows why he is the all-powerful dictator of spice with a new hot sauce made from the spiciest pepper in the world, the naga jolokia (aka ghost pepper). His Ghost Pepper Jolokia Private Reserve only requires the dip of the tip of a toothpick to assault your mouth, tongue and lips. Keep in mind I've been in spice training for the past few years and I was totally floored by the powerful punch this sauce packs.

- It looks like the cupcake trend has finally gone away. I only saw two exhibitors with cupcakes in the whole show.

- Fresh Natural Gourmet International
The show proves that it's a frightening task to enter the food marketplace. There are so many similar companies, selling such similar products that standing out is extremely difficult. It begs the question why some exhibitors chose such boring names. When there's already Gourmet Village, Sisters Gourmet, Gracious Gourmet and Original Gourmet Food, do you really need Gourmet in your name? Sweetriot, Grumpy's and the old standby Yoo-Hoo were all notable names on the positive side. Spicy Nothings stood blandly on the negative name side, while Looza just didn't translate. Then there was the Fartless Factory. Agree to disagree with whoever thought that was a good idea...

Foodzie

2008-12-19T10:35:00.000-08:00

Just because it's future predictions season here's one more: Foodzie will be the main online marketplace for small artisan food producers and growers, eventually becoming a brick and mortar chain that will rival Trader Joes and Whole Foods.It may be because they sell Luca Chocolate's Bacon Box which includes Chocolate Covered Bacon, Bacon Caramels and Bourbon & Black Pepper Truffles. Or the best popcorn on earth. Or Cayenne Habanero Hot Sauce.Most likely, however, it's because they sell all of the above on one site.

2009 Food Trends

2008-12-15T17:16:00.000-08:00

What does the future hold? Food and Wine says sandwich shops and butlers that cook. Bon Appetit says the new American tavern will be the trend to watch. I made my own food Oscar predictions and now I'll do some other food forecasting. Trends of 2008, like pescatarians, locavores and post-Atkinsians, have made diet labeling a bit absurd. So here are some food/diet trends that just may be idiotic enough to be real:

Typovores- People who only eat animals that have the same blood type as they do. This stems from the Blood Type Diet. We realize this diet might be difficult, as it requires knowing your own blood type and getting a blood sample from every animal before they hit the grill. That said, you'll be amazed by how thin and energetic you feel after just two months on the diet...

Greenkillivores- Combining the environment-saving and locovore trends, this group only eat roadkill hit by hybrid and fuel efficient vehicles. Inconveniently Truthful dinner.Last, but certainly not least seems to be everyone else aka Bacon-eaters. Between the bacon bowls, bacon weaves (filled with cheese no less) and bacon-wrapped turducken it seems the bacon industry is recession-proof.

Vegan Hanukkah Test Drive

2008-12-12T09:12:00.000-08:00

I skipped Thanksgiving this year because I was sick and I kept getting these shocked, remorseful responses like I missed a free meal at Mastros. Honestly, if you had to base a meal around one animal would you ever choose turkey? Over pork, over beef, over lobster? Really? Turkey? And I'm sorry, but cranberry sauce- that's your sauce of choice over all the other sauces in the world?

Anyway, agree to disagree on the whole Thanksgiving thing... Let's talk about a meal that's not worth missing- Hannukah.
Here we have a meal centered around fried potato. That's what I'm talking about- rich, flavorful, crunchy yet soft, hand-held, greasy goodness:My uncle tested out his vegan latke recipe last night, which if you didn't tell me, I wouldn't know were vegan:

Vagan Latkes (Potato Pancakes)
5 large Russet potatoes peeled
1/4 of an onion; white or brown or sweet if you prefer
1 Tablespoon flour
3 Tablespoons egg substitute powder
Salt and Pepper to taste.
plenty of peanut or Canola oil

Grind or food process potatoes and onion together as course or fine as you like. Mix egg powder with 3 Tablespoons warm water until it is very smooth, no lumps. Move potatoes to a bowl, add flower and egg substitute, salt and pepper, mix well. If it is too watery, add a little more flower, but not too much.

Heat a thick layer of oil in pan, get it fairly hot. Spoon in the latkes about 3" in diameter, not too thick. Watch for brown edges and turn over. When just brown, remove and drain, don't over cook them, they will continue to cook a little as they drain. Replace oil and heat as needed. Makes about 30 latkes.

The vegan pumpkin cheesecake with maple pecan topping was delicious as well.Vegan Pumpkin Cheese Cake with Maple Pecans
1 pre-made graham cracker pie shell
1 15-16 oz can pumpkin pie filling
2 8 oz tubs of Toffuti cream cheese (blue lid)
2-3 oz maple coated pecans

Combine pie filling and cream cheese in a bowl and blend well. Pour mixture in pie shell. Bake in 350 oven for 25 minutes. Layer pecans on top, refrigerate until chilled and firm.

Stay tuned for a full Hanukkah dinner report in a few weeks.

Food Oscar Preview

2008-12-11T09:29:00.000-08:00

With the announcement of the totally useless, meaningless and altogether unnecessary Golden Globes today, I thought I'd present some of the food related Oscar favorites:

Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett and a curiously delicious pork butt... I smell an Oscar for The Curious Case of Benjamin Pork Butt-on.

Frank Langella gives a powerful yet sweet performance in Frosting/Nixon.

The compelling story of how an impoverished Indian teen uses one of the finest deep fried foods to earn true love in Corndog Millionaire.
A young couple living in a Connecticut suburb during the mid-1950s struggle to come to terms with their personal problems with a certain ice cream fetish in Revolutionary Rocky Road.

Milk, Doubt and The Reader didn't work well for puns so they didn't make the list.

Missing Matsuhisa

2008-12-10T09:11:00.000-08:00

I have to admit, I've been down on Nobu Matsuhisa lately. His La Cienega-based Matsuhisa was a go-to spot for work lunches and dinners over the past few years, but didn't make the list once this year. In part it's due to the opening on Nobu up the street. Maybe it's also because Sushi Park, Sushi Zo and Izakaya by Katsuya all have fresher fish (and better prices at the latter).
So I was pleasantly surprised when I saw Nobu featured on Bizzare Foods' Japan episode recently. Zimmern and Nobu stood in the kitchen of his Tokyo restaurant eating a brilliant array of dishes including octopus egg (simmered in a mix of fish stock and soy sauce), sea cucumber eggs (harvested eggs formed into a solid sheet of cucumber egg jerky) and turtle blood shooters (fresh blood mixed with sake).
It renewed my interest in Matsuhisa and reminded me why he was able to create the empire that he has today, with scores of imitators (Katsuya...) around the world. To pay my respects I'm making a reservation for before the end of this year.

The Fancy Burger Food Marathon

2008-12-09T09:51:00.001-08:00

Choosing the best burger in LA is as futile as choosing the best sushi. The argument will rage on longer than the Arab/Israeli conflict. So why not add fuel to the already out of control fire:

The Pug Burger from The Hungry Cat
I didn't get an egg on it, which might render my opinion obsolete but it's a damn good burger. Juicy, rich, almost too big too eat... all wonderful attributes for a burger. The blue cheese is very pungent which could overpower the burger for the faint at taste. With avocado and bacon this burger pulls out all the stops.

The Comme Ça BurgerA more subtle, refined burger bursting with flavor. Pound for pound it might be the best in LA. The way the cheese melts around the patty, it's almost like a cheddar casing. And the bun is worthy of eating on its on.

The Classic at 8oz
This was my second visit to 8oz and I can confidently say it doesn't belong on any "best of" lists. The meat is mealy and dry, the buns don't have that freshly baked quality- it's just outclassed by the other gourmet burgers in LA.
Next time will be the Dirty Burger Food Marathon, for those wonderful greasy under-$5-gut-bombs that LA does so well...

The Trucks Trump

2008-12-08T09:22:00.000-08:00

Recently there's been a few of examples of the right way to open a restaurant and a lot more examples of how not to do it:
First the Americanized/fusion Korean bbq. Shin, Jian, Gyenari all opened outside of the delicious confines of Koreatown boasting smokeless bbq and high quality meat in a trendy/upscale environment. Not sure how their doing financially but I haven't heard great things about any of them. Shin was ok, but I'd much prefer a Koreatown restaurant than one in the heart of Hollywood (especially one where most of the tables don't have bbq's and can move for "parties"- be a restaurant, focus on the food first and worry about the parties later).
At the same time a brilliant new concept has opened to rave reviews in the form of Kogi Korean BBQ taco truck. It's an example where fusion works, price is right and eventually they'll grow (while Shin, Jian, Gyenari will eventually disappear).
Another concept that continues to fail is the foodie nightclub. Three ventures opened this year; Foxtail, One Sunset and Kress (Apple can probably be added soon)- all of which initially claimed to be for foodies but have scaled back their menus to simply be bar food to accommodate the freeway-and-canyon club-goers.
At the same time Let's Be Frank started selling healthy/gourmet hot dogs from mobile locations outside the otheroom and now outside Silverlake Wine. There's a right way to combine drunk people and food- don't serve both from the same location. Let the bars and clubs handle the booze and let the foodies handle the food.

Food Marathon Counter-Programming

2008-12-05T09:32:00.000-08:00

Food marathoning can take its physical toll. I've been blessed with a fast metabolism but certain 3,000 calorie binge days slow the heart down a bit. That's why I counter my monthly weekend marathons with light/healthy weekday meals. Besides the occasional tom yum soup from Jitlada I tend to eat turkey sandwiches from Subway (no cheese, no mayo). Another standby is Mickey and Sam's Ice Cream Plus. It's a no frills ice cream shop that serves salads, soup and sandwiches exactly how you would make them at home. Regular old iceberg lettuce, store-bought wheat bread, brown rice, microwaveable tofu, jarred sauces... it's really nothing special at all. It's healthy, inexpensive, easy and then there's the dessert. There's yogurt, gelato, sorbet, fat free, low fat, sugar free, low sugar and different combinations. Flavors range from cinnamon to lemon, raspberry ice tea to peanut butter. This one is banana and chocolate hazelnut.For around $10 it's my go to weekday spot for lunch and/or dinner.

The Welcome to the Jungle Food Marathon

2008-12-01T13:55:00.000-08:00

As I did with the Koreatown Food Marathon, it's time for another quiz. First do your homework:
Food Destination
Dig Lounge
L.A. & O.C. Foodventures
Teenage Glutster
Gourmet Pigs

1. Which of these flavor/consistency combinations was not tasted on the marathon?
a. Sewage/Mush
b. Blue Cheese/Feet/Snot
c. Rubber/Glue
d. Chocolate/Chalk

2. Which restaurant did not have a fish tank?
a. Nkechi African Cafe (Nigerian)
b. El Rocoto (Peruvian)
c. Siem Reap (Cambodian)
d. Quan Hop (Vietnamese)

3. Which restaurant could easily be the set for a martial arts or gangster movie?
a. Nkechi African Cafe
b. El Rocoto
c. Siem Reap
d. Quan Hop

4. Which restaurant had the most addicting sauce/condiment?
a. Nkechi African Cafe
b. El Rocoto
c. Siem Reap
d. Quan Hop

5. Start time was 11:30am. What time was final drop off?
a. 3pm
b. 5pm
c. 7pm
d. 2am

Extra Credit. Which of these names do you like best?
a. The Welcome to the Jungle Food Marathon
b. The Jungle Cruise Food Marathon
c. The Gorge of the Jungle Food Marathon
d. The Apocalypse Chow Food Marathon (thanks to the Haphazard Gourmet)

Highlight the following for answers:
1. d. Chocolate didn't make the menu but the other odd combos rounded out an adventurous day of eating.
2. a. Nkechi African Cafe. But they did have soccer.
3. c. Siem Reap, where you'll find me every weekend dancing to Dhoom Dhoom and other Cambodian/Bollywood hits.
4. b. El Rocoto. The aji rojo and aji verde are like crack. However Quan Hop's fish sauce took a close second.
5. c. 7pm. Making it the longest food marathon in history.

Ain't No Future

2008-11-24T16:14:00.000-08:00

My last post celebrated the words of MC Breed and now we celebrate his life and mourn his loss.

RIP

Back in Black

2008-11-04T22:55:00.000-08:00

I've written about the 90's before and there's no question that they're back in fashion and music. Now it looks like the 90's have made their way in to politics as well. It's appropriate that the young vote made a difference in the 2008 election as I will quote vernacular that I'm sure only the MTV generation would easily understand-from MC Breed's 1991 single "Ain't No Future in Yo Frontin'":
"That's the way I am, MC Breed cannot be different
Never change my ways for the world or the government.
If I was the president, then I would state facts
You leave it up to me, I'd paint the white house black
It ain't no future in your frontin'"

The Spiciest Food Marathon

2008-10-30T09:03:00.000-07:00

We consulted Jonathan Gold, we prepared the Burn-Be-Gone-Box (you'll see what that means shortly) and we conquered Los Angeles' spiciest restaurants. It was a stunning day with one of the most well-planned, well-navigated, well-executed marathons to date. The food was fantastic, the pain was intense and the show began at:
11:30am. Orochon Ramen literally has a spice wall of fame (wall of pain?) honoring the capsicum cowboys that blazed trails before us. What better place to start.As we had a long way to go we decided to split the famous Special 2 with cha-shu pork. Upon its arrival we realized why there's a wall of fame- not really for the spice, but for the quantity. It was a bathtub of sweet, scalding, heat-saturated broth packed to the rim with firm noodles, chopped peppers, tender pork and vegetables. The volume itself could end a beautiful Saturday morning, then throw in the temperature (very hot) and spice (not that hot) and I envision a severe food coma for the wall-of-fame-worthy.
To be honest, we were surprised that the spice wasn't more intense (for the reputation it has). It was the perfect level, causing slight pain but 100% manageable.
We each ate a healthy portion which was equal to about 1/15th of the total bowl. The first to-go container of the day was almost overflowing with food which meant great leftovers for the week to come.
Orochon FM Spice Rating: 7.5
Next up was Chichen Itza, a restaurant notorious for their habanero salsa. We actually just wanted chips and salsa but we made a game time decision. Not only were we allowed to sample the sauce we were also given fresh from the oven bread, just for being there.... We bought one bottle of their milder bottled habanero version and also bought their freshly made and bottled nuclear salsa. We walked down the street and just outside the Mexican Consulate we found El Serranito, a typical LA taco truck. We ordered one carne asada taco and one al pastor. We walked across the street to MacArthur park to enjoy the sunshine and spice. As is always the case, the tacos were fantastic. Rich with flavor on light tortillas, they would become the perfect home for our newly purchased bottle of pain.
The hanabero flavor is very pronounced in Chichen Itza's salsa. It's tangy and sharp, formidably spicy and complimentary to anything it coats. Not as painful as I remembered but serious nonetheless.
Chichen Itza FM Spice Rating: 7
So in preparation for the marathon we put together the Burn-Be-Gone-Box (BBGB). The items enclosed were water, toilet paper, wet naps, cups and baking soda. Baking soda is a natural base that fights the acid found in most spicy foods. It can quell the internal burn, acting like a powder blanket on top of hot sauce. The BBGB first made an appearance at this stage of the marathon. Relief.
Next up was Kyochon. Although Crazy Hook was recommended their hours didn't work for this marathon. They'll definitely be part of the wing marathon.
After Hite Kwang-Jang I was really excited about Kyochon. (Korean chicken wings are new to me, so excuse my fervor.) We ordered 4 spicy wings, keeping portions small for marathon-sake. It took a while to get the wings, probably because of all the takeout business they were doing.They weren't spicy at all- sweet in fact. Definitely tasty, but providing a respite from the pain in what was soon to become a spice cacophony.Kyochon FM Spice Rating: 3
1:45pm. Northbound to Jitlada which I've written about many times.
In the past we've urged Jazz to kick the spice up to toxic levels so we could learn our limits. We reached our limit a few times. We haven't since returned to that level by choice... until now. The beauty of Jitlada is their Southern Thai dishes are so inherently spicy to begin with, that with a little goading you get to an incomprehensible spice stratosphere. One such dish is the phat luuk taw “Meuang Khon” (stir-fried sator beans with shrimp, pork, and squid). It's like Sloppy Joe's psychopathic cousin. We told the waitress to make it as spicy as possible and the results were numbingly brilliant.Nothing on the food marathon compared in spice or flavor, as Jitlada delivered the one-two knock out punch. The only way to battle the pain is to continue eating. Thai iced tea doesn't help, rice doesn't help, water definitely doesn't help. We hurried to pay to get to the only remedy from the BBGB- baking soda. A couple gulps later and we were on our way to Wing Stop.
Jitlada FM Spice Rating: 10+++
Although it's a chain we included Wing Stop because of it's location on the marathon path and their Atomic buffalo wings. We ordered and a hellish prophecy stared us down. $6.66. What were we in for?
After a tongue-singeing day our taste buds were affected so there was a discrepancy in our Wing Stop rating. I had 2 boneless atomic wings and Peter only had 1. The flavor wasn't good, as all thought was put into the tongue torching qualities of the sauce. And torch it did- the pain built and built. I was hurting in the car 10 minutes after finishing the wings. Peter wasn't. He thought they were weak. Agree to disagree. We'll have to wait for the chicken wing marathon to decide.
Wing Stop FM Spice Rating 5 or 8 depending on who you ask.
3:30pm. For our last stop we made our way to Ice Pan for the only soothing meal of the day. Ice Pan is a high-concept ice cream parlor- the equivalent of what you'd find in Back to the Future 2.The idea is that each batch of ice cream is made before your eyes as you order it. I chose their special pumpkin flavor thinking a nice pumpkin pie ice cream would cap the gluttonous day. Unfortunately they didn't have graham cracker topping and instead put mango and pineapple.It's a cool concept but ultimately what you're eating isn't as good as ice cream from a regular ice cream shop. So the idea is it's fun to watch ice cream but more natural and healthy. The problem is if I want ice cream, I want unhealthy, unsaturatedly fatty ice cream.
Ice Pan FM Spice Rating: -9
I won't go into the details of the next 48 hours. I didn't eat anything else that night, just drank scotch to kill any bacteria that was left. Peter had Indian food for dinner. I had Jitlada for dinner the next day, but ordered it mild (don't tell anyone). I'm not at 100% yet but I will be eating the leftovers this week.

Costume Ideas for the Food-Minded

2008-10-27T10:43:00.000-07:00

I have nothing against sexy chef costumes for Halloween but here's some more creative costume ideas:

Super Mario Batali

Bobby Flayvor Flav

Surgeon Gemeril

Muay Thai Ice T and Coco Kripies

Peter Panda Express

The K-Town Food Marathon

2008-10-20T09:24:00.000-07:00

This food marathon was extraordinary for many reasons:
a. It was lead by Matt and Christine who not only told us where to eat, but what to eat and how to eat it.
b. Two of LA's best food bloggers (Food GPS and Dig Lounge) rounded out the table with creative food commentary.
c. It was the first marathon where alcohol was involved- sorry Crown Royal, only beer this time.
d. As the other bloggers are gonna write intelligent exposés with vivid photographs I decided to do a pop quiz, so get your #2 pencils ready:

1. Which of these sweeping generalizations is NOT true:
a. The food marathon is actually a Korean concept (Koreans often eat at many establishments per night)
b. Koreans hate pork.
c. Valet in Koreatown rarely costs more than $2.
d. Portions in Koreatown are always twice as big as necessary, and half as expensive.

2. Bizzare Foods was filmed at which marathon stop:
a. Western Soondae
b. Hite Kwang-Jang
c. The Prince
d. Honey Pig

3. What pork product was NOT eaten on the marathon:
a. Belly of the pig that lives under the outhouse
b. Feet
c. Ears
d. Ribs

4. Boiled peanuts taste like:
a. Cardboard
b. Chicken
c. Garbanzo beans
d. Sweet potato

5. The best chicken wings in LA are from:
a. Kyochon
b. Hite Kwang Ja
c. BonChon
d. Furaibo

Highlight the following text for answers:
1. b. I might be Korean too, as I was in pork heaven.
2. a. Western Soondae
3. d. Ribs are so pedestrian.
4. c. however I actually like garbanzo beans.
5. Cannot be determined until the upcoming Chicken Wing Food Marathon.

Kassava's Carribean Kitchen

2008-10-08T09:24:00.000-07:00

I live walking distance from a lot of good restaurants, but most are very similar. Between Le Pain Quotidien, Cuvee, Newsroom, Jack & Jill's Creperie and Breadbar, brunch options are covered. Then Loconda Veneta, Orso, Il Cielo, Gardens at the Four Seasons and The Ivy take care of the expense account meals. So when Kassava recently opened serving inexpensive home-style Carribean food I took note. It's still in its infancy but is starting strong.
The space is simple and warm.
They're aiming for lunch and dinner business, as well as take out and delivery with a menu of soups, salads, sandwiches and meat/veggie-based stews and curries. Plastic silverware and plates keep costs down with the highest priced item topping out at $18.95 for the conch stew. Average entree price is $12.95 with 3 dollars off each at lunch.
I chose the fresh mango juice to start. When it gets cooler out I'm definitely going for the pumpkin soup. For dinner I chose the spicy curry goat which comes with rice, beans, sweet plantains and cabbage.The meat and potatoes were succulent and prepared with love. The sides were fine, but nothing to write home about. The small container of spicy cabbage on the side was like curry coleslaw and worth eating straight. Overall a very pleasing dinner.For dessert some mini red velvet cupcakes. In these cupcake-filled times it's hard to beat some of the high-end confectioners, but there's still time to make adjustments.
Overall I'm happy about the new addition and will be back throughout the fall and winter for the hearty, home-style cooking.

The Hot Dog Food Marathon Pt.1

2008-10-07T09:41:00.000-07:00

The Dodgers are in the playoffs and to me the Dodgers mean one thing- hot dogs.So on a recent excursion to the valley I did the first of what will likely be many hot dog marathons.
Shortly after the Wiener Factory closed (RIP) The Infield opened just down the street on Ventura Blvd.Their menu features a decent variety ranging from New Zealand wagyu dogs to a pastrami dog to their notorious Twinkie Dog.
As it was the first stop I just went with a standard dog with ketchup and mustard.
It's a good dog, not world changing but satisfactory.
Sitting in the stadium seats definitely adds to the overall effect, but next time I'll try the Twinkie.
Onward to QT Chicago Dog, which is just around the corner on Woodman.
I like the setup. Sharing space with a grocery store the restaurant portion of the building is sparsely filled. There's some arcade games, a tv, some tables, a miss-matched array of signs offering different types of hot dogs, sandwiches, desserts... Overall a pleasing place to eat a Chicago Dog.
The dog is smaller than The Infield's but with a better bun. The toppings were a bit limp but the flavor was fine. It sufficed for a quick snack but would inevitably get clobbered by the dog at the next stop...
Vicious Dogs in North Hollywood. I'm not sure if the whole NoHo Arts District thing is working out or not, but I do know Vicious Dogs is the best addition to the area in years.
After QT's I wanted to compare the Chicago Dog. It would prove to be a great choice.
First, the hot dog itself is 100 times bigger, fresher and tastier than QT's. The meat actually tastes like meat (even if it just lips and hooves). The relish, pickle, peppers and tomatoes all were so flavorful that I considered having another. Rationality kicked in and I just read the LA Weekly Best of LA issue instead. Jonathan Gold loves Fab so that will definitely be on the next marathon.

Great Sushi?

2008-10-01T17:53:00.000-07:00

Once in a while my slight obsession with food leads to something good in my life (besides satisfied taste buds). For example, I've met a lot of nice, interesting people in the LA area thanks to this blog. LA has such a bad rap so I just wanted to throw that out there.
More specifically, I was at the Natural History museum and came across this:
Because I have "issues" my first thought was, "oh, this could be an interesting post. I'll see if anyone serves flamingo or its tongue." I in turn found this:
..the Flamingo Tongue Snail.
Definitely one of the cooler looking creatures on the planet. Is it wrong that I immediately thought it would make great sushi?

Prepare for Peri-Peri

2008-09-26T12:35:00.000-07:00

I was just informed by one of the original food marathoners that Nando's will be the next notable restaurant chain to conquer America. Serving Portuguese chicken dishes with either lemon and herb, medium, hot or extra hot peri-peri marinades (properly known as Galinha à Africana), Nando's has already made its mark on the rest of the world. He recently ate at the Nando's in Melbourne and it was the best meal of a 3 week trip. With their first American location in Washington, DC it's only a matter of time before we get the sweet spice on the west coast.
Coincidentally, I just bought my first bottle of Nando's peri-peri hot sauce and judging by the delicious flavor I hope he's right.

The Dumpling 5k

2008-09-05T15:36:00.000-07:00

Another Food 5k down, this time in the SGV. It started early Saturday morning at Din Tai Fung. We tried the original location but were referred to the new one around the corner. I'm not sure if the food quality is any different as everything was delicious. The service was a bit slower due to the size of the restaurant I assume.We had juicy soup dumplings and garlicky string beans.On the sweet side we had red bean buns and sesame buns.We saved room because we knew there was more eating to do.
First we bowled a couple games at the alley next door to Din Tai Fung. Note to parents, the dumpling/bowling combination- possibly combined with the arboretum makes for a great outing with the kids. I don't have kids so the food 5k continued.
Per Matt's recommendation we went to Hawaii Supermarket. Between the durian and live turtles it was much more exciting than Gelson's. We stocked up on some basics and moved on to Monterey Park.
We weren't the first to follow Exile Kiss' recommendation of Noodle House. I haven't really done dumpling due diligence so it was presumptuous for us to try this newer edition before hitting the more established SGV restaurants. I say this because the food was just mediocre. When compared back-to-back with Din Tai Fung, Noodle House's dumplings were bland and cumbersome. I even like Wonton Time's better.
The noodles were covered in sauce like broth. Unfortunately the sauce was too overpowering and not flavorful enough to garner such abundance.That said, I'm glad to have tried Noodle House. There's so much more to discover in that part of town and just too little time.
Later in the day we attended two parties, both of which had cheese plates with Marcona almonds.
Quite a day.

More BBQ

2008-09-04T15:14:00.000-07:00

Forgot to post about Lucques BBQ night.
Lucques' patio, drinks and service are all phenomenal. On any other night I'd say the food is included in that list, but the BBQ was hit and miss.
The cocktails were strong and sweet and perfect for summer.
The beans werer full of bacon- thus making them excellent. The corn was good, the watermelon was ok, the cole slaw was fair and the greens were good. The first batch of ribs we got weren't as good as the second. I think they were sitting for a while the first time.
The pecan pie was very good. Ultimately I'm glad I got to experience the famous BBQ night.

Finally, the Nike Food Marathon

2008-08-26T17:00:00.000-07:00

I've been looking for a food marathoning shoe for a long time. It's finally here. The Nike Air Max 90 Burger:

Best Show Ever...

2008-08-19T09:27:00.000-07:00

The recent episode of No Reservations in Spain was the single greatest hour of television in the history of the medium. With Usain-Bolt-like effortlessness, Anthony Bourdain and his producers deliver one brilliant food television moment after another.

Why can't the Food Network be more like this...

The Deep Fried Life

2008-08-08T10:16:00.000-07:00

On the list of greatest things ever invented, deep frying is near the top. Here's a list of the wonderful world of heart attack.The deep fried cheeseburger with fries. Almost as good as bacon-wrapped... anything.