Friday, February 25, 2011
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Umami Burger, Los Angeles Ca.
There has been a ton of hype of this new burger place in LA, Umami Burger. And what exactly is Umami you might ask, well I can tell you that "it plays an important role in making food delicious" - according to this article. The hype has made it all the way up here to Portland and since I am not in LA right now, my buddy and LA correspondent Ed "Lalo" made the trip out to the La Brea Ave. location and sent me this update and blurry picture.
"So here are my thoughts on Umami Burger:
I went to the La Brea location...
Super small parking lot...
Way hip building...
Really modern, inside and out...
There were a couple of burgers on the menu, I had the Umami burger...
The menu said there burgers were served medium rare, I found out I don't like medium rare....
Kind of gross...
Anyhow, the burger was very good and juicy...
It had a crisp Parmesan cheese disk on it and a bunch of other stuff on it that were really good...
The bun was super good and soft, brioche...
Would I go back?
Heck yes!!!
Use this or not."
So there you have it.
Thanks Ed.
Visit Umami Burger
I went to the La Brea location...
Super small parking lot...
Way hip building...
Really modern, inside and out...
There were a couple of burgers on the menu, I had the Umami burger...
The menu said there burgers were served medium rare, I found out I don't like medium rare....
Kind of gross...
Anyhow, the burger was very good and juicy...
It had a crisp Parmesan cheese disk on it and a bunch of other stuff on it that were really good...
The bun was super good and soft, brioche...
Would I go back?
Heck yes!!!
Use this or not."
So there you have it.
Thanks Ed.
Visit Umami Burger
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Carnivore Trail Mix
This Trail Mix is not raisins and seeds... it's ALL smoked meat, jerky and cheese! One pound, cryosealed in a watertight and airtight pouch, so you can take it anywhere. Maybe you'd better get 2, for home and trail, because you're going to be tempted to tear in right away!
It's a mix, with every pouch containing most of these beef jerkys: hickory, spicy, teriyaki, pepper, country, garlic, hot. Plus turkey and chicken, including spicy, country, teriyaki. And these smoked meats: spicy and mild beef, with both pepper and cheddar, garlic beef, and turkey... mild, spicy and with pepper. Then, cheddar and Swiss cheese to round it out!
Via Sportsman Guide
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Gaffey Street Diner - San Pedro, Ca.
I really like the show Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives with Guy Fieri. I even like it better than that Man Vs. Food show. While similar in some regard, MvF is more about quantity over quality, at least to me it is. MvF is the show that would rather show a 5 ft pizza and DD&D would show you an authentic brick oven crusted pizza. I feel Guy does a good job talking about the ingredients, the preparation, the way certain flavors compliment each other and is animated enough to make me feel like I am the one sampling the food. Now, Guy is no Anthony Bourdain but that's a good thing. I cannot afford to fly around the world and visit the places that Bourdain goes to. Not that I don't want to go, I just cant afford to go. DDandD is more my speed, my people and my economic level.
Gaffey Street Diner in San Pedro is a place that Guy talked up on one of his shows last year. The food on the show looked amazing; homemade chorizo, the John Wayne plate, biscuits and gravy...this is my type of place! And I could tell that the owners were people I respected - homemade cooking, hard working, old school type of people. I was sold. This is a place to visit next time I would be in So. Cal.
The wife and I made the trek to San Pedro. South of LA, near Long Beach - the South Bay. Side note - I really like San Pedro. Its like the town that LA forgot about. Tucked away in the corner SP is a good old fashioned town, mixed in with surfers, artists, hot rodders, low riders and blue collar working class. We ordered the eggs Benedict, the Gaffey Street Special (spicy chorizo pork scrambled with eggs and cheese with a generous helping of home style fries) and a side of biscuits and gravy. I hadn't eaten all morning and after the 1hr+ drive I was hungry.
So now I am sitting in a place I heard about form a show I respect in a town that i admire and how was the food you may ask....eh. Much to my surprise the food was just OK. The eggs Benedict did come with a huge slab of ham, which was tasty, but the hollandaise sauce (homemade) was bland and uninspiring. The home style fries tasted undercooked and bland as well. The chorizo (homemade) tasted store bought (while I love me some store bought chorizo, I was expecting something more - especially based on Guy's reaction - see video below). The biscuits and gravy were, once again, just OK and nothing special. The biscuit was generous and fluffy and the gravy was filled with a lot of sausage but again bland.
I am not going to get into the service on this one since my momma always said "if you don't have anything nice to say don't say anything at all".
Here is the twist - I took the leftovers to my sisters house and they liked everything. Whatevs.
Verdict - Skip it. Maybe if I lived nearby it would be different, but not worth the hour+ drive. I will, however, still listen to Guy and take his recommendations. I don't want to throw the race card around, but maybe since he is a white guy he doesn't know good chorizo when he tastes it...but then again, I am the whitest Mexican who doesn't even speak Spanish, so what do I know.
Visit Gaffey Street Diner
Gaffey Street Diner in San Pedro is a place that Guy talked up on one of his shows last year. The food on the show looked amazing; homemade chorizo, the John Wayne plate, biscuits and gravy...this is my type of place! And I could tell that the owners were people I respected - homemade cooking, hard working, old school type of people. I was sold. This is a place to visit next time I would be in So. Cal.
The wife and I made the trek to San Pedro. South of LA, near Long Beach - the South Bay. Side note - I really like San Pedro. Its like the town that LA forgot about. Tucked away in the corner SP is a good old fashioned town, mixed in with surfers, artists, hot rodders, low riders and blue collar working class. We ordered the eggs Benedict, the Gaffey Street Special (spicy chorizo pork scrambled with eggs and cheese with a generous helping of home style fries) and a side of biscuits and gravy. I hadn't eaten all morning and after the 1hr+ drive I was hungry.
So now I am sitting in a place I heard about form a show I respect in a town that i admire and how was the food you may ask....eh. Much to my surprise the food was just OK. The eggs Benedict did come with a huge slab of ham, which was tasty, but the hollandaise sauce (homemade) was bland and uninspiring. The home style fries tasted undercooked and bland as well. The chorizo (homemade) tasted store bought (while I love me some store bought chorizo, I was expecting something more - especially based on Guy's reaction - see video below). The biscuits and gravy were, once again, just OK and nothing special. The biscuit was generous and fluffy and the gravy was filled with a lot of sausage but again bland.
I am not going to get into the service on this one since my momma always said "if you don't have anything nice to say don't say anything at all".
Here is the twist - I took the leftovers to my sisters house and they liked everything. Whatevs.
Verdict - Skip it. Maybe if I lived nearby it would be different, but not worth the hour+ drive. I will, however, still listen to Guy and take his recommendations. I don't want to throw the race card around, but maybe since he is a white guy he doesn't know good chorizo when he tastes it...but then again, I am the whitest Mexican who doesn't even speak Spanish, so what do I know.
Visit Gaffey Street Diner
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Adult Bibs, with Moisture Barrier!
The easy joke here is to say, "Hey, I could use one of those!", but the truth is, that anybody who knows me, or has seen my shirts knows its true. Hell, I know more then a few people, young and old, that could benefit from this. Is it time to cut some licensing deals on adult bibs? Hmmmmmm......
Cow Lettuce - Meat Salad
A salad made entirely of meat. 2096 grams of fat and 28,031 calories. Good luck burning that off.
via foodbeast
via foodbeast
Americas Top 10 Sandwhiches
I am not going to list all top 10 sandwiches here because of a few reasons, but the most important reason is that I have no idea how accurate this list is nor do I have the funds to travel to each state to find out (ok, that is the real reason). I do, however, love me a good sandwich and am happy to see that Portland (meat,cheese,bread) has made it to the list. Click on the Via link at the bottom to view full list.
Via EndlessSimmer
Via EndlessSimmer
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Little Big Burger - Portland, Or.
Recently the wife suggested that we try out a new burger place in downtown Portland. First off, I was surprised (shocked) that she was the one to suggest a new place to try out. Second, I was surprised (complete shock) that the place she suggested was a burger place. Love that woman!
Located in the Pearl District of Downtown Portland, where Subway sandwich shops do not exist, LBB is a small, clean and trendy looking burger establishment. There were 2 strikes off the bat that stood out to me: 1. the staff was young, nicely dressed, well groomed and "hip". 2. cans of PBR available and neatly arranged on the wall in a Warhol-esque repeated pattern. In a nutshell, too "hipster" for me. Nothing wrong with PBR but I was raised to believe that cheap beer was reserved for a Wednesday afternoon with your out of work friends after a few days straight of drinking, smoking and very little eating. Ok, so maybe the cans of PBR are appropriate for Portland.
The menu is super simple: cheeseburger, regular hamburger or veggie burger + choice of cheddar,swiss,chevre or bleu. Lettuce, onions, pickles and camden's catsup. Sides - fries, soda and/or floats.
How do they taste? Awesome! Tasty, rich, meaty patty. Excellent bun ( I prefer brioche buns). Clean toppings and savory cheese ( I ordered the cheeseburger with bleu cheese). Lettuce, Onions, and pickles were all very fresh and crispy. I don't have an opinion on the catsup as I didn't know it was "Camden's catsup", thus i didn't pay attention to it and took that it was even there for granted.
The prices are nice too, only $3.75 for the cheeseburger with all the fixins. Here is the catch though, as the name implies ( Little Big Burger ) the burgers are not as big as a normal sized burger. I would put them between a slider and a regular sized burger i.e., order at least 2.
I wish I had more pictures, but as I mentioned they are small and tasty and I only ordered one. I will be back, probably during a weekday as the weekend was pretty busy.
(From thier site "LBB burgers are made with a 1/4 lb. of Cascade Natural beef, local brioche buns, local cheeses, organic veggies and Camden's Catsup".)
Recommended.
Visit Little Big Burger
Located in the Pearl District of Downtown Portland, where Subway sandwich shops do not exist, LBB is a small, clean and trendy looking burger establishment. There were 2 strikes off the bat that stood out to me: 1. the staff was young, nicely dressed, well groomed and "hip". 2. cans of PBR available and neatly arranged on the wall in a Warhol-esque repeated pattern. In a nutshell, too "hipster" for me. Nothing wrong with PBR but I was raised to believe that cheap beer was reserved for a Wednesday afternoon with your out of work friends after a few days straight of drinking, smoking and very little eating. Ok, so maybe the cans of PBR are appropriate for Portland.
The menu is super simple: cheeseburger, regular hamburger or veggie burger + choice of cheddar,swiss,chevre or bleu. Lettuce, onions, pickles and camden's catsup. Sides - fries, soda and/or floats.
How do they taste? Awesome! Tasty, rich, meaty patty. Excellent bun ( I prefer brioche buns). Clean toppings and savory cheese ( I ordered the cheeseburger with bleu cheese). Lettuce, Onions, and pickles were all very fresh and crispy. I don't have an opinion on the catsup as I didn't know it was "Camden's catsup", thus i didn't pay attention to it and took that it was even there for granted.
The prices are nice too, only $3.75 for the cheeseburger with all the fixins. Here is the catch though, as the name implies ( Little Big Burger ) the burgers are not as big as a normal sized burger. I would put them between a slider and a regular sized burger i.e., order at least 2.
I wish I had more pictures, but as I mentioned they are small and tasty and I only ordered one. I will be back, probably during a weekday as the weekend was pretty busy.
Recommended.
Visit Little Big Burger
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Earth Oven Pizza. Hillsboro, Oregon.
I am a transplant from a suburb outside of Los Angeles, Ca and now live in a suburb outside of Portland, Or. Long story short, I love it up here compared to down there....except for one little thing - there is nothing to eat out here! don't get me wrong, in downtown Portland there is a huge, huge foodie scene (feel free to look it up - food carts, locally grown, sustainable, gourmet etc. are commonly used adjectives to describe the PDX food scene.)
I was invited check it out by two buddies of mine, Roy and Mathew, who must have read the same article as me about a new eating establishment. These two are true food connoisseurs whose judgment and taste buds I trust.
It is a small place, quaint, friendly and clean. We ordered a large meat pizza (pepperoni, ham and sausage) for the 3 of us. Personally, at this point I wasn't too interested in what we ordered as I wanted to try the crust.
And how was it. IT was tasty; very very tasty. The crust was crispy and flavorful. The sauce was definitely above average and but the toppings were good. Not great, but good. The toppings were not horrible, but they were a bit disappointing. Nothing too special. BUT, the crust and the sauce more than made up for it. So much so, that the Mat and Roy went ahead and ordered another large (unfortunately i was full a this time and do not remember what they ordered).
Now I must stress that even with the toppings being not all that sexy, I still really enjoyed the pizza and want to go back soon. I have had other brick oven pizzas around Portland and this one ranks up there with some of the better establishments.
I have had some, no need to name (it was NOT Kens or apizzascholls, love those spots), where there was a line around the corner, and yet the crust was limp, soft and bland. Why there was such a wait for this I will never know. This was not one of those places!
Recommended. This one is a keeper.
My view of the pie.
And of course the upskirt shot.
Visit Earth Oven Pizza for more information.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Slaters 50/50
I was in town for the holidays and some friends had recommended we try out Slaters 50/50 burgers in Anaheim Hills, Ca. Never one to turn down a good burger, I easily accepted the offer to go. Slaters is located in a typical OC mini mall, tucked away in a dark corner. You could tell the place was new, sparsely decorated with a few beer posters and signs on the wall. However, It needed the space since the place was packed. There are two sides to the place; the main dining room and the bar area covered in the Slaters logo which resemble the Chargers in San Diego Chargers (must be an OC thing, if we were in LA then obviously it would have been a Raiders rip-off). We had a 45 minute wait for a table so we moseyed over to the bar area. Apparently in addition to the burgers Slaters is famous for their beers on tap. I am not a big drinker nor have I been to a bar in ages but Slaters has a nice sized selection of beers on tap and Metallica blaring from the speakers to put me at ease; and after 2 North Coast Brother Thelonius beers (9.4% ABV), I was.
What has made Slaters 50/50 Burger a famous destination is the patty being made up of half ground beef and half ground bacon, thus the 50/50. After 45 or so minute wait, and a glass of Chimay beer (which my friends swear by), I was ready to order and eat. There are a few "stock" signature burgers to start off with but the fun is in their "Design It" menu where it offers over 50 different sauces, cheeses and toppings.
My creation:
50/50 patty - You can also get: Fire Beer, Chicken, Turkey, Veggie etc.
2/3 size - 1/3 Lb and a Full 1 Pound are also offered.
Focaccia Bread - I wanted the White Brioche but they were out.
Imported Swiss Cheese - American, Brie, Feta, Pesto Goat Cheese, Gruyere, and the standard American, Swiss, Cheddar etc, are available.
Danish Blue Cheese
Wasabi Mayo - So many sauce options, not enough room to list them all
Green Leaf Lettuce - I like the classics but you can also get Baby Greens, Cranberry Sauce, Sauerkraut, Pico De Gallo, Tomatoes, Sweet Relish, Grilled Pineapple...you get the idea.
Raw Yellow Onion
Tomato
Slater Sauce
Pastrami - This where things get interesting....
Egg over easy - So maybe i didn't have to put this on but after the pastrami, why not.
and i think that was it.
You can name your creation....I present to you "The DayDay".
Verdict - The patty was good, I will not deny that - juicy and tasty and the bacon did work. I am glad i didn't get the 1 pounder as the patty's are huge. I did not like the bun - the Focaccia bun did not stand up to the monster burger that I created and fell apart after the first bite. I liked all the toppings I put in it but it was too much. It took away from the patty and by the last bite the burger was a mess. I had a good time drinking, hanging with friends, listening to bar music, eating my uniquely designed gourmet burger but am not sure if I need to go again. If I do return I am going to go with a more simplified, traditional burger that highlights the tasty patty. I do recommend going at least once.
What has made Slaters 50/50 Burger a famous destination is the patty being made up of half ground beef and half ground bacon, thus the 50/50. After 45 or so minute wait, and a glass of Chimay beer (which my friends swear by), I was ready to order and eat. There are a few "stock" signature burgers to start off with but the fun is in their "Design It" menu where it offers over 50 different sauces, cheeses and toppings.
My creation:
50/50 patty - You can also get: Fire Beer, Chicken, Turkey, Veggie etc.
2/3 size - 1/3 Lb and a Full 1 Pound are also offered.
Focaccia Bread - I wanted the White Brioche but they were out.
Imported Swiss Cheese - American, Brie, Feta, Pesto Goat Cheese, Gruyere, and the standard American, Swiss, Cheddar etc, are available.
Danish Blue Cheese
Wasabi Mayo - So many sauce options, not enough room to list them all
Green Leaf Lettuce - I like the classics but you can also get Baby Greens, Cranberry Sauce, Sauerkraut, Pico De Gallo, Tomatoes, Sweet Relish, Grilled Pineapple...you get the idea.
Raw Yellow Onion
Tomato
Slater Sauce
Pastrami - This where things get interesting....
Egg over easy - So maybe i didn't have to put this on but after the pastrami, why not.
and i think that was it.
You can name your creation....I present to you "The DayDay".
Verdict - The patty was good, I will not deny that - juicy and tasty and the bacon did work. I am glad i didn't get the 1 pounder as the patty's are huge. I did not like the bun - the Focaccia bun did not stand up to the monster burger that I created and fell apart after the first bite. I liked all the toppings I put in it but it was too much. It took away from the patty and by the last bite the burger was a mess. I had a good time drinking, hanging with friends, listening to bar music, eating my uniquely designed gourmet burger but am not sure if I need to go again. If I do return I am going to go with a more simplified, traditional burger that highlights the tasty patty. I do recommend going at least once.
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