eat. drink. BITE ME! - adventures in food and drink

Bite Me TV's New Show 'Quick Bite!' at the 2011 Tasty Awards

2011-01-20T14:56:00.000-08:00

We have a new series! It's called Quick Bite! and our first episode covers the 2011 Tasty Awards.

The Tasty Awards recognize the best in food, drink and fashion programming on television and the web. Our man Druu was a judge for the awards this year, and on the night of the gala event he and Joel grabbed their cameras to record the festivities. A number of celebs were in attendance, including Zane Lamprey, Aida Mollenkamp, Nathan Lyon, Alie and Georgia, Bobby Bognar, Leslie Sbrocco, Brian Boitano, Candice Kumai, Jeanie Mai, Darryl Robinson and Jolene Sugarbaker. Check out the red carpet, the ceremony and the after-party, all in under 2 minutes. Yup, that's a Quick Bite!

For the full list of nominees and winners, check out http://www.tastyawards.com/.
Enjoy!

Beware Fake Food Blog drink-food1.blogspot.com

2010-11-23T12:02:00.000-08:00

Watch out for a fake food blog that recently popped up.

Some dweeb started up a blog on Blogspot, loaded it up with adware/spyware and then started copying posts from other blogs and posting them to his/her own blog to make it look like they have a legit food blog. Watch out for drink-food1.blogspot.com. A bunch of our eat. drink. BITE ME! blog posts have been pilfered and reposted there...and you might infect your computer just by visiting them. BEWARE!

30 Food Trucks and More at Munch LA on September 18

2010-09-02T14:46:00.000-07:00

Come get your grinds on at Munch LA. It's a food truck, cooking and designer shopping fest raising $$$ for Fairfax High School that goes down on Saturday, September 18 from 11am to 5pm. Tickets are $7 if you buy them in advance at munchla.com and $10 at the door. Fairfax High School is on the corner of Melrose and Fairfax in L.A.

Here's a list of some of the food trucks that will be there:

Ahn Joo, Baby Bad Ass Burgers, Big Swirl, Calbi BBQ, Crepe n Around, Del’s Lemonade, Dim Sum Truck, Don Chow Tacos, Dosa Truck, Dumpling Station, Eat Phamish, Fish Lips, Flying Pig, Frysmith, Greenz on Wheelz, Greasy Weiner, India Jones, Kabob N Roll, Komodo, Lake Street Creamery, Louks, LudoTruck, Nana Queens, Slice, South Philly, Sweet Truck, Tropical Shave Ice, Vizzi and more.

Ninja Tacos and the Death Taco from Genkiyaki in Lakewood Get Us All Fired Up!

2010-08-23T17:34:00.000-07:00

Late last night I decided to take a quick break from editing Bite Me TV's latest Field Trippin' episode and figured I'd check in on Facebook. I saw that a friend of mine had posted that he was craving some Korean BBQ, and one of the responses recommended he try Ninja Tacos in Lakewood.

Ninja Tacos in Lakewood?!?!? (insert screeching tires sound effect here) You KNOW I had to check that out!

So I did a quick Bing search and found that this little Teriyaki joint in a corner strip mall next to the tux shop where I rented my senior prom tuxedo has been making a name for itself with their $1 Ninja Tacos and their weapon of mass destruction...the Death Taco. A mere 12 hours later, Joel and I were rolling down the road to have ourselves a taste.

Genkiyaki is the name of the place, and it's located on the corner of Del Amo Blvd. and Bellflower Blvd. It's a very casual plate lunch joint with a few tables for eating in and, by the looks of it, a healthy take-out business. The interior is pretty plain, although I took an instant liking to the ninja dude painted on the wall.

Genkiyaki offers a fairly usual array of Teriyaki bowls and plates, and from what I've read they do a better than average job on their plate lunches. I'll have to go back to try one of those out as we were there today strictly for the tacos.

Now you have to understand that Joel has a bulletproof mouth, a lead-lined stomach and balls of steel, while I am a normal mortal without the necessary deflector shields to withstand insanely spicy food. Joel, therefore, was the man to step up to the plate and order himself a Death Taco (as well as 5 Ninja Tacos). I ordered up 3 Ninja Tacos, and ended up going back up to the counter to order 2 more.

Genkiyaki's Ninja Taco is a good quality street-style taco with a twist. A small corn tortilla is filled with a mixture of grilled chicken and ribeye as well as onion and cilantro, and then topped with Genkiyaki's special Ninja sauce. Without the sauce, Genkiyaki's taco is a good, standard street taco. With the sauce, their taco is something special. The Ninja sauce is a spicy sweet sauce that tastes like they sat down one night with some Teriyaki sauce and a bunch of difference chile peppers and spicy sauces and started experimenting until they found a magic combination. Kogi BBQ started the Asian/Mexican taco trend, and while comparisons are inevitable, Genkiyaki’s Ninja Taco doesn’t taste like a Kogi copy. The Ninja Taco is it’s own animal, and for a dollar each you just can’t go wrong.

The Death Taco is a Ninja Taco with the sauce kicked up to maximum power, and it’s also $1 each. That’s Joel’s Death Taco in front of a bunch of Ninja Tacos in the photo above. We couldn’t pry the secret recipe from anyone behind the counter, but it sounds like they add ghost chile (the hottest chile on planet Earth) to their Ninja sauce to turn it into a fiery inferno. Now, I read last night how various customers who have tried the Death Taco have cried, whimpered and even thrown up, and we were able to confirm that, yes, customers have actually found the Death Taco so spicy hot that they have indeed thrown up in agony on the sidewalk outside.

Joel, like the mighty warrior that he is, was not worried at all and faced the Death Taco with a straight face and no fear. And...for the first time, I saw him sweat, sniffle and have to reach repeatedly for the young coconut milk that he ordered with his tacos. There was no sobbing or shrieking in agony (which impressed the staff), but Joel did have blurred vision and a lack of hearing for about 20 minutes. (Uhhh, just kidding…) Yup, the Death Taco proved to be Joel’s match, though I have the feeling that he’ll be back for more.

Word of advice: If you are brave enough to try the Death Taco, do not order a soda to cool your mouth. Water won’t be very effective either. Milk is your best bet. Or bring an iced coffee with milk with you, as that will do the trick.

Genkiyaki is located at 5526 Del Amo Blvd. in Lakewood.

Cheers!
Druu

Food Jammers - The Cooking Show for Guys Who Are Buzzed

2010-08-20T11:59:00.000-07:00

Do you remember ever hanging out with your buds, either stoned or kinda drunk, and getting into a conversation that went sorta like:

"Dude, wouldn't it be cool if we built a.....so we could...?"

"Man, we could totally do that. It would be awesome!"

"Yeah, man. I can sooo see it now. C'mon, bro. Let's do it today. Let's do it right now. We could have this bad boy working in no time."

"Alright, man. Yeah, let's do it. Let me just take one more hit..."

You remember that, right? Of course you do! Well, somebody decided to take that basic idea and make a TV show out of it. It's called Food Jammers. Three Canadian dudes who have some building skills and a "WTF? Let's do it!" attitude build these wild contraptions in each episode to cook up some kind of food or make some cool drinks. While these guys are more beer drinkers than stoners (this is television after all), Food Jammers really is the ultimate stoner cooking show. The series has been airing in Canada for three seasons, and this year's season 3 started airing in the U.S. on the Food Network's new Cooking Channel.

Here's a video clip from a couple of years ago where the three hosts modify their freezer so they can keep an eye on their chilling beers. This might have even been shot before they had a proper TV show.

I watched the last episode of season 3 a couple of weeks ago, and the guys built a hot tub during Canada's winter so that they could relax outside and cook Japanese Shabu-Shabu and drink sake while being in the jacuzzi. It was pretty freaking awesome.

So check out Food Jammers on the Cooking Channel. Here's a link to their show page on the Cooking Channel site. The show might be a sausage farm without the babe action of our BITE ME! the MAN Cooking Show, and some of their contraptions may not be very practical, but the show is a lot of fun to watch while chilling in front of the tube with a beer in your hand.

A Journey Back to the 1990's at Paradise in Gardena

2010-08-16T13:37:00.000-07:00

Joel and I decided to have lunch at an old standby one day last week, Paradise in Gardena. Paradise has been around for about 20 years or so, and is located right where the cities of Gardena and Torrance meet up next to the intersections of the 110 and 405 freeways. For decades this area has been mostly commercial and industrial, and back when Paradise first opened it was just about the only place nearby for a good business lunch.

So let's go back to the early 1990's. This part of town was basically devoid of good eats other than very casual joints, and Paradise made quite a splash. It was cutting edge with a building that looks like a warehouse from a sci-fi flick, an eclectic interior that mixes Asian, tropical and modern styles and a California Cuisine mix of menu items inspired by various European, Asian and Pacific Island cultures. Their Margherita Pizza has always been one of my favorites, and their Thai Chicken Pasta was another popular and daring dish when it was introduced. One day as I was leaving the place with friends after finishing lunch, Ice Cube and his crew were walking in to have theirs. I even proposed to my wife in a back corner of the restaurant years ago.

Ok, so there's some history to the place, and Joel and I returned for another meal in Paradise.

I had one of their daily specials, Blackened Halibut served with a Caprese Salad. Very nice... I enjoyed the dish a lot. The mozzarella and tomato salad went very well with the fish, which was flavorful but not overbearing and cooked just right.

Joel went with his old favorite Thai Chicken Pasta, and his reaction to the dish highlighted Paradise's main weakness. The restaurant is still living in the 90's and could really use an update. That Thai Chicken Pasta, which was pushing the envelope 20 years ago is pretty boring today. They still make the dish the same way, it's just that good Thai food, which wasn't all that accessible two decades ago, can be found all over town today. Thai Chicken Pasta rocked in 1992, but today we want a more authentic Pad Thai or Pad See Ew noodle dish. Quite a few of the dishes on Paradise's menu could use a similar review and update. Same goes for the interior design. It was too cool for school 15 years ago and looks a bit dated today. Our tastes and expectations have changed over the years, but Paradise has remained pretty darned consistent. It's like a time warp back into a Michael J. Fox film.

Paradise is still a pretty good stop for a business lunch, a pleasant dinner close to the office or for Happy Hour. I'm not knocking it. But with updates to both menu and interior, I think it could regain some of its former glory.

Cheers!
Druu

Curry House Special - Katsu Curry Rice Plate for $5.99

2010-08-10T09:11:00.000-07:00

Curry House's most anticipated promo deal is back! From today through Thursday, they are serving their Katsu Curry Rice plate for $5.99 during both lunch and dinner hours. All locations, except for their San Diego restaurant and their take-out-only locations, are offering the deal.

Nominations for the 2011 Tasty Awards are Open

2010-08-06T15:47:00.000-07:00

Nominations for the 2nd annual Tasty Awards have opened up. The Tasty Awards recognizes the best in food, drink and fashion programming, and anyone can nominate their favorite shows. There are television categories as well as web categories, so if there's a podcast, web TV show, broadcast TV show, cable TV show or film out there that you think deserves recognition, click here to see the various categories and make your nomination.

I'm a judge for this year's Tasty Awards, so we are NOT asking anyone to nomination Bite Me TV's 'BITE ME! the MAN Cooking Show' or 'Drink 'n Play'. We'll make sure our shows are thrown into the hat for next year's awards.

Cheers!
Druu

The Korean Taco Has Gone Mainstream, but KOGI IS STILL KING

2010-08-04T14:08:00.000-07:00

Yup, the secret is out. What started out as a cool, out-of-the-box food idea has spread like wildfire over the past year and a half...Korean tacos have hit the mainstream.

The New York Times did a recent article on the subject, as did the Dallas Morning News, the Wall Street Journal and the Seattle Times. Food blogs and magazines have written about them and more and more eateries all over the United States are adding Korean tacos to their menus. I wrote in an earlier blog post about trying them at Hashigo Sushi, I saw them on the menu at California Pizza Kitchen a couple of nights ago and Baja Fresh made news a year ago when they pilfered the original idea for their menu. Seoul Station in NYC has them. So does Hankook Taqueria in Atlanta and numerous food trucks in various cities across the country.

But LA food blog The Great Taco Hunt made a great point in their recent posting Korean Taco FAIL. There may be a whole lot of tacos being served out there using meat cooked Korean-style, but many if not most of them come off as cheap copies of the original. Chef Roy Choi's Kogi BBQ recipe is still the king!

We profiled Kogi BBQ last year in episode 105 of BITE ME! the MAN Cooking Show, and have been big fans ever since. Their tacos seriously rock, plus their sliders, burritos, hotdogs and quesadillas all more than hold their own in the yummy department. Korean tacos might be popping up all over the place, but we know where to go for the best of the bunch.

Going Peruvian at El Rocoto in Gardena

2010-08-02T11:04:00.000-07:00

On Artesia Boulevard in Gardena, there are two Peruvian restaurants right across the street from each other. I've always thought that was weird, sort of like finding a MacDonalds and a Burger King on opposite corners of the same intersection, or a Costco and a Sam's Club in the same shopping center. But I've eaten at both restaurants for years, and I'll have to say that there are some big differences between the two.

Joel and I headed out that direction for lunch the other day with Peruvian food on our minds, and decided to go for the restaurant on the south side of Artesia Blvd....El Rocoto. There are a couple of things about El Rocoto that set it apart from most if not all of the other Peruvian restaurants around Southern California. First, it's not strictly Peruvian but rather Chinese Peruvian. A Chinese family from Peru owns the place, and they offer a mix of dishes from both cultures. Second, while most Peruvian restaurants I've been to have been very casual eateries, El Rocoto is nice enough and has enough character to make it appropriate for a business lunch.

Ok, on to the food. First off, let's talk about the aji sauce. Every Peruvian joint serves up this spicy (or semi-spicy) green chili sauce. It's a necessary part of the meal, just like soy sauce at a Japanese joint or salsa at a Mexican place. El Rocoto always serves two varieties of the sauce, the standard green sauce and a slightly more spicy orange version. I still prefer the green, but really appreciate the extra flavor option that they offer.

My favorite dish at El Rocoto is their tallarin verde con pollo. I've tried this dish at various Peruvian restaurants across town, and so far El Rocoto serves up the best of the bunch. It's a breaded chicken breast pounded very thin served with pesto spaghetti and a couple of fried potato pieces on the side. Yup, it's a meat and carb fest that can be a bit heavy for lunch, but it's soooo yummy.

Joel opted for their pescado al ajo, or garlic fish. I know quite a few people who frequent El Rocoto, and this is the dish that comes up most often as a favorite. It's a filet of fried white fish in a garlic butter sauce served with rice. If you don't mind garlic in your lunch, this is a real winner.

Oh, and if you're going to eat Peruvian you might as well drink Peruvian too, right? Since something non-alcoholic was called for at lunch, I went straight for the Inka Cola. It's sort of like a lemon-lime soda, but with more of a sweeter taste, a darker golden color and a smell just like old-time Bazooka bubblegum. The stuff is awesome!

El Rocoto has two locations, the original restaurant at 1356 W. Artesia Blvd. in Gardena and a second restaurant at 11433 South Street in Cerritos. I've eaten at both, and prefer the Gardena location only because of the decor. There's a bright and happy tropical vibe at the Gardena restaurant that is bound to make you feel like you've stepped out of a strip mall and into a food adventure cruise. Find them on the web here.

A Bollywood Break for Lunch at Royal Kabob in Hawthorne

2010-07-20T11:24:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while, Joel and I find a need to head over to Fry's Electronics in El Segundo during lunchtime. Being proper tech geeks, we have gadgets that need replacing, fixing and upgrading on a fairly regular basis, and Fry's is one of the best places around for techie instant gratification. Now on these little field trips, the fellas have gotta eat. We've tried a lot of the places that line Rosecrans from the 405 freeway to Sepulveda, and our favorite stop is a little Indian restaurant right next to the freeway called Royal Kabob.

Royal Kabob is tucked into a compact strip mall literally about 50 feet west of the 405 on the north side of Rosecrans, right next to a liquor joint that specializes in providing kegs of beer. 20 years ago, the keg shop would have probably been my stop of choice in that strip mall, but that's another story... Royal Kabob is a narrow restaurant that has tables and seating along the right side of the place while the kitchen takes up the left. Above the kitchen, up on the wall are two flat-screen TV's that are always playing either musical scenes from Bollywood flicks or Indian music videos. It's a casual place that offers only a few dishes over $10, but it's decorated very nicely, the food is yummy and watching the Indian dance routines with all the bright colors and scenery while waiting for your food is bound to make you happy.

There are two things that I simply have to order whenever I eat in an Indian restaurant...mango lassi and garlic naan. Lassi is a cool yogurt drink, and I'm 100% stuck on the mango version of the drink. Naan is a classic Indian flatbread that's baked in a tandoori oven, so garlic naan is sort of like the garlic bread that I used to scarf down like a maniac whenever my parents took me out for spaghetti as a kid.

I usually order one of the kabob platters whenever Joel and I stop in for lunch. On this particular afternoon I went with the seekh kabob platter, which included both ground chicken and ground beef kabobs, basmati rice, aloo palak (potatoes cooked with spinach, tomato, cream and spices), dall (a delicious lentil side dish), kachumber (cucumber salad) and raita (yogurt with either grated or chopped cucumber...sort of an Indian version of Mexican pico de gallo). Now I realize that you might be looking at the picture of the seekh kabobs above and thinking to yourself, "uhh...they kinda look like poop", but trust me. They're delicious. Think of them as spiced up hamburgers in the shape of hot dogs, and you'll be fine.

Royal Kabob is located at 5245 West Rosecrans Avenue in Hawthorne and can be found on the web at http://www.kabobtogo.com/.

Cafe Camellia

2010-07-14T16:26:00.000-07:00

I've been going to this place for about 20 years. It's a real gem located in old town Bellflower. It's not where you'd expect to find a nice French restaurant, but the food and service rivals the high end restaurants of Beverly Hills and West LA. These folks are so accomodating, I remember a few years ago, my cousin had some folks come in from the Philippines and these guys stayed open until 2AM, even though they closed far earlier.

Jen, Robert and myself had a hankering for some French Cuisine at an affordable price: So we found ourselves at Cafe'Camellia. There's nothing over $15 on the menu during lunch and $27 for dinner. They have a great wine selection and fabulous desserts.

I started off with the Lobster Bisque, both exquisite and hearty.

Jen had the Cobb Salad that she thouroughly enjoyed.

I had the Combination Seafood plate with filet of salmon, scallops, prawns & mushroom in a scampi cream sauce served with vegetables and scalloped potatoes-It was awesome!

Robert had the halibut with spinach. He said it was one of the best he's ever had.

Chef Ken knows his food and his staff knows how to take care of their customers. They also have another location called Arte Cafe in Cerritos. It's great food at a great value. Check out their website for more info: artecamellia.com

Back to Hashigo in Fullerton for Happy Hour

2010-07-09T12:31:00.000-07:00

Last month, I wrote about the experiences my wife and I had at Hashigo Sushi in Fullerton. That night, we had just missed Happy Hour and figured that we would have to return on another evening to try some of their Happy Hour goodies and specials.

A few nights ago, we were able to make that happen. Hashigo offers Happy Hour specials every evening between 5-7pm which include drink specials such as 50% off well drinks as well as discounted appetizers and a few items not on their regular menu.

We started off with their spicy tuna tartare. As you can see, the presentation was groovy and the tuna was served on crisps of some sort that didn't really add much flavor but did add a pleasant crunch. Thumbs up.

I had heard about Hashigo's kalbi tacos and had to give them a try. They were yummy, but I'll have to admit that they didn't quite meet my expectations. Kogi BBQ set the bar when they launched their first Korean-Mexican fusion truck and created the kalbi taco, and Hashigo's version doesn't reach that level. I think it mainly has to do with the sauce and the various ingredients used. Hashigo's tacos taste like a regular taco that has had its meat substituted with Korean barbeque. That's fine and good, but I was really hoping for more flavors like Kogi's version has that really make it a new and special dish. The tacos are offered only during Happy Hour for $6 per plate of two tacos.

One special we missed on the evening we visited Hashigo was their $2.95 sushi handrolls. I think that price might only be available Sunday through Thursday. We didn't get the discount, but we did have a couple of handrolls. Their spicy yellowtail handroll was fairly standard fare, but yummy. Sweet potato fries are also offered during Happy Hour, and I can't seem to pass those things up whenever they're on a menu. Hashigo's fries did not disappoint and managed to disappear within minutes.

All in all, Hashigo's Happy Hour specials provided us with an enjoyable meal. Other places might have more menu options or slightly lower prices, but Hashigo's food is good, the service is attentive and the atmosphere is pleasant.

Kampai!
Druu

Curry House Gardena

2010-07-07T16:11:00.000-07:00

Got a hankering for some Japanese Curry? Well, Curry House is the place to go. I've been coming here for years, and always leave having a great experience. Japanese is not all sushi and teriyaki, it's a little Indian, American, German and Italian, all with their own twist. Curry House gives their own interpretation of Indian and Italian . The staff is friendly and the place is clean and bright and also kid friendly. The food is amazing and their prices are reasonable with generous portions. I went with the wife and kiddos to the Gardena location and their kids' plates come with toys.

My wife and I had the Dry Curry which was similar to the Keema Curry, another Curry House Favorite.

I ordered it with a fabulous house salad.

She ordered her's with a awesome corn chowder.

The kiddos had the Chicken Teriyaki.

Food is $10-15 and there are monthly discounts and specials. Sign up for coupons at their website: http://www.house-foods.com/CurryHouse. They're all over SOCAL, so check out a location near you.

Breakfast with the Locals at Garrett's in Santa Barbara

2010-07-05T21:41:00.000-07:00

If you're ever in Santa Barbara and find yourself in the mood for a good, hearty neighborhood diner breakfast, then make sure you stop by Garrett's Old Fashioned Restaurant at the corner of State Street and Mission.

My good friend, and Bite Me TV contributing photographer, Ernie Uy first introduced me to Garrett's years ago when he was finishing up his degree at U.C. Santa Barbara. Garrett's was this little local joint that drew a constant crowd of loyal regulars for breakfast and lunch, and all these years later the same is true today. The place is small, often crowded, and serves up some excellent grub.

During my recent visit, it seemed like the folks running the place knew about every third or fourth customer who walked in the door. The two cooks above were rocking and rolling in the tiny kitchen area, preparing eggs, pancakes and the rest for a diner full of hungry folks.

Garrett's is open from 6am-3pm on weekdays and 7am-3pm on weekends, so don't show up looking for dinner. This is a breakfast, brunch and lunch outfit. And don't expect a fancy menu of gourmet treats. Garrett's serves quality diner food...honest and simple fare.

The blueberry pancakes are my favorite, hands down. Garrett's might just serve up the best pancakes in town, and their blueberry pancakes are bursting with fresh fruit flavor. I just couldn't get enough of them.

Garrett's Old Fashioned Restaurant is located at 2001 State Street, just north of downtown Santa Barbara.

Cheers!
Druu

A Fine Lunch With a View at Ristorante daVinci in Long Beach

2010-07-02T18:34:00.000-07:00

Our good friend Eric joined Joel and I for lunch today, and we decided to head over to Ristorante daVinci in Long Beach. Ristorante daVinci takes up the top floor of a 3-story building that sits next to the runways at the Long Beach Airport. Joel had eaten there a couple of times before and had recommended that we try it out for lunch.

Considering that daVinci is in an industrial area next to an airport, it's a pleasant surprise to step out of the elevator and find yourself in an elegant and spacious restaurant. This is definitely not your everyday airport diner. We were seated next to the huge windows looking down onto the airport runways, which made for a very pleasant atmosphere on a sunny Friday afternoon.

We started out with daVinci's affettato misto, which is a selection of various types of salami, prosciutto, candied pecans, marinated olives, figs and a couple of very light and airy pastries.

Eric is keeping himself at optimum fighting weight, and so opted for the Napoli insalate, a salad of mixed greens, grilled ahi, garbanzos and other mixed veggies with a citrus vinaigrette.

Joel went with the salmone di vegetale, wild Columbia River salmon served with sauteed pea tendrils, young potatoes and oven-blistered cherry tomatoes.

I wanted a sandwich, so I picked their bistecca pagnottelle. They start with beef brisket which has been slow roasted for 12 hours, mix in some carmelized onions, sauteed mushrooms, mozzarella and a horseradish cream sauce and serve it on a ciabatta roll. The sandwich was delicious, the meat melting in my mouth, but I think I would have preferred a crunchier bread than ciabatta. A French-style roll that's crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside would have really taken that sandwich over the top, but that's a minor quibble. I seemed to be the only one at the table with anything critical to say, and we were all happy with the food.

Ok, so the food is yummy, the atmosphere elegant. The prices are a little on the high side, but reasonable for what you get in my opinion. What else should you know about daVinci? Helicopter rides! On Friday and Saturday nights, daVinci offers helicopter tours over Long Beach paired with drink specials for $60 per person. On Fridays, you get a flight of three wines to give you a bit of liquid courage before your flight. On Saturdays, its daVinci's hand-crafted martinis. In addition, they periodically offer airship rides over Long Beach. Check daVinci's website for their schedule. You might also be interested in their Happy Hour specials, which are offered Monday through Saturday 4-7pm and include cocktail, wine and beer selections for $5 as well as $7 appetizers.

I'm definitely heading back sometime soon for a helicopter ride!

Salute!
Druu

Our Adopted Cafe in Paris...Cafe L'Atelier

2010-07-01T22:26:00.000-07:00

In April, I took my wife and kids on our first European vacation. Our first stop was Paris, and I was determined to explore Paris' cafe culture. We decided not to stay in a part of the city overrun by tourists, and instead opted for one of the historical centers of the cafe scene, Montparnasse.

Le Select, Le Dome, La Rotonde and La Coupole are probably the most famous cafes in the area. Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Pablo Picasso frequented these establishments decades ago. We ended up adopting a cafe right next to Le Select called Cafe L'Atelier as our neighborhood cafe of choice during our week-long stay. It pulled us in with it's bright red exterior and less stuffy atmosphere than the more historical cafes nearby, and the good food and free wi-fi connection kept us going back daily for either a meal or simply an espresso and a croissant.

We had our first lunch in Paris at Cafe L'Atelier, and I opted for their signature sandwich. It's a delicious combination of sliced beef, aioli and crusty baguette served with pommes frites (that's what they call fries). I'm not sure if it was the sandwich itself or because I was enjoying it during my first lunch in Paris, but that was one of the most satisfying sandwiches I've ever eaten.

My wife went the salad route, with a mixed green salad served with a vinaigrette and poached eggs served on little toasts cut to be perfect little beds for the eggs. It was also delicious.

Want to do it like the locals do? Save money by bypassing the tables and standing at the bar. Everything is a little cheaper at the bar.

Cafe L'Atelier is located on the north side of Boulevard du Montparnasse, just west of Boulevard Raspail and is open 24 hours. Oh, and they make a pretty awesome omelette for breakfast, too.

Cheers!
Druu

Gettin' the Middle Eastern Fix with Baba Ghanouj

2010-06-30T16:39:00.000-07:00

Gettin' a hankering for some Middle Eastern Flava, Druu and I hit up Baba Ghanouj in Long Beach.

It's a rockin' Lebanese joint that made us feel warm and fuzzy. Our host, Tony, took good care of us after we were seated-adding to ambiance as we grooved to the middle eastern music. We even noticed fresh flowers on the tables; a nice touch that's normally overlooked in restaurants.

The most expensive lunch item was under 10 bucks and Dinner nothing over $19. We had the Baba Ghanouj (Finely chopped charbroiled eggplant mixed with tahini, garlic, lemon and olive oil).

Druu had the Shish Taouk, cubes of marinated chicken breast, charbroiled and served with hummus, garlic sauce, Basmati rice and seasoned onions. Druu was surprised at how soft and tender the chicken breast was, as it burst with flavor.

I had the Lamb Shish Kabab. It was simply exquisite (Crap, I don't use that word) so we'll use: Awesome! It too was tender and flavorful.

It's a wonderful dining experience: These folks make great food and will make you feel welcome!

Bite Me TV's Druu is a Judge for the 2011 Tasty Awards

2010-06-29T17:47:00.000-07:00

The Tasty Awards is an annual awards show that takes place at the beginning of each year to recognize the finest in food, drink and fashion programming on TV, in film and on the web. The list of judges for the 2011 Tasty Awards was just announced yesterday, so we can let out the secret that Bite Me TV's Druu was asked to be one of the judges in the food and drink categories. SHWEET!!!

Druu will join some of the top food bloggers, food and drink show hosts (including some past Tasty Award nominees), magazine publishers and media companies (including Scripps Networks which runs a little cable channel nobody's ever heard of called the Food Network) in reviewing this year's award nominees and voting for the best of the best.

We don't have schedule info yet on the 2011 awards show, but this year's Tasty Awards were held in January up in San Francisco. As the show gets closer and we gather more info, we'll spread the word.

Good Food - Crummy Service = Ruined Lunch

2010-06-28T17:31:00.000-07:00

I was reminded today about how important good customer service is to an enjoyable meal, or any other experience for that matter. Joel and I decided for lunch that we'd head over to a restaurant that we've frequented since it opened a couple of years ago. It's a small, family-owned place that serves some good food.

Sure enough, our food was as yummy as usual and I took some pics for the blog. But I'm not going to post those pics as our meal ended up being ruined by crummy service. We've been good customers of this restaurant since their beginning, yet we definitely received the cold shoulder today. While other tables were waited on in what looked like a timely fashion, we waited and had to ask for basic things that noone usually has to ask for. Even a minimum level of friendliness seemed to be absent. It was weird receiving service like this in a place so small and by people we've supported, and it made for the most uncomfortable lunch I've had in a long time.

I'm not going to name the restaurant as I didn't become a food blogger to start bashing people. Instead I'm going to take today's experience as a reminder of how important good service is. I read Danny Meyer's book Setting the Table a few years ago, and he made a huge point (a number of them, actually) about the importance of customer service. Meyer is a highly successful New York restaurateur whose restaurants include Union Square Cafe, Gramercy Tavern and The Modern. And he's right. The quality of the food matters at a restaurant, but I was reminded today that yummy food is not enough. We go to restaurants for experiences, and that means that food and service have to work hand-in-hand. The food can be stellar, but if the service sucks then the experience is ruined. Buzzkill...

Maybe I can find a way to discreetly communicate that point to the folks who run our unnamed restaurant. I'm all for promoting independent eateries and small family-run businesses, but I'll have to admit that I don't feel any desire to have lunch at that same place anytime soon.

Cheers!
Druu

Surf, Turf and Brews at Taps Fish House & Brewery in Brea

2010-06-28T06:22:00.000-07:00

My wife and I discovered Taps Fish House & Brewery about 10 years ago and have been fans of the place ever since. They serve delicious seafood and steaks, they brew their own beer, the dining room is upscale enough for a proper "date night" yet the bar and outside patio areas are casual enough to keep the place from being too stuffy and they offer one hell of a Sunday brunch.

We've been through most of their menu over the years. Their drunken mahi mahi is one of my faves, but on our most recent dinner at Taps I decided to go with their seafood stuffed jumbo prawns. The shrimp are butterflied and stuffed with a mix of crab, scallops and more shrimp then served with swiss chard topped with au gratin potatoes and surrounded by lobster Thermidor sauce. This might be my new favorite dish at Taps.

My wife went with one of their dialy specials, a surf 'n turf combo of steak and pan seared jumbo Maine sea scallops. The scallops and steak are on Taps' regular dinner menu as separate items, but that night they happened to offer them together. The steak was fine, but not mind-blowing. This dish was all about the scallops. Meaty, tender and delicious, they were definitely winners.

Taps has three locations, the Brea restaurant we regularly visit, one in Corona and a third restaurant named The Catch near Angel Stadium in Anaheim. Their beers are excellent and expect to pay $20-25 per entree. Sunday brunch on holidays such as Mother's Day are usually crazy-packed, so make sure you place reservations far in advance for those days. Weeknights and during lunchtime you can simply walk in and be seated, but I'd recommend reservations for Friday or Saturday dinners.

Cheers!
Druu

So Pho So Good

2010-06-26T22:17:00.000-07:00

Druu and I have been going to this Pho Joint in Carson for a few years called Pho Bistro. I showed up a couple weeks ago and thought they had closed. I read the sign closely and it was closed for renovation. I showed up earlier this week and noticed the name had changed to So Pho So Good.

Not knowing what to expect I, I went in and noticed the menu was the same. It was the same awesomeness as before, with the food a little more dressed up. Marie, the owner introduced herself and made me feel comfortable and welcome. I told her that I'd be back the next day, since I forgot my camera. I lied, I showed up today with Druu and Sean for some down home Vietnamese cooking. I got some Lemon Grass Chicken, which was phenomenal. Druu and Sean got some Vermacelli with grilled chicken and egg rolls. I also got some Pho: I was, however in a place named after it.

The food was fantastic and the menu didn't have anything over $8.00! So for fast and healthy dining in Carson, Check out So Pho So Good located at 1818 E Carson St, Carson, CA 90745 (Corner of Carson and Wilmington), You won't be sorry(=

Three Sheets Begins Airing Wednesday Nights on the Travel Channel

2010-06-24T17:09:00.000-07:00

We shared the good news a few days ago that the Travel Channel was picking up Three Sheets, one of our favorite drinking series'. We now know have word that all 52 episodes of Three Sheets' four seasons will air Wednesday nights at 11pm and 11:30pm, beginning next Wednesday, June 30. And...if the show's ratings are good enough, the Travel Channel will throw down some cash to produce a fifth season.

So grab a cocktail or a cold one on Wednesday nights and flip on the Travel Channel to catch episodes of Three Sheets. If you're on the West Coast, you may even get to see the show at 8pm and 8:30pm depending on who your cable or satellite TV provider is. Check your local listings.

Hawaiian-Style Grinds at Bruddah's in Gardena

2010-06-23T18:33:00.000-07:00

I moved to Southern California from Hawaii back when I was in high school, and even though I ended up living not too far from a little suburb called Hawaiian Gardens (funny, eh?), it took driving around town during my college years for me to find decent Hawaiian food near my new home. One of my early finds, and still one of my favorites, is Bruddah's in Gardena.

Bruddah's is a small, casual eatery crammed between storefronts on Gardena Blvd. that attracts a regular flow of transplants from Hawaii. The place has a laid back local vibe and the food is "ono" (that's "delicious" to those not in the know). It's been more than a year since my last meal there, so when Joel mentioned Bruddah's yesterday as a possible lunch stop I was all for it.

Joel digs their Hawaiian combo plate, which includes lau lau and kalua pork as well as the required scoops of rice and macaroni salad. A plate lunch can't be called a plate lunch unless it includes scoops of rice and mac salad, and not only does Bruddah's do kahlua pork and lau lau right but I'm convinced that they serve the best mac salad around.

I tried to balance the food groups a little bit with my meal and went with their daily special of shoyu chicken and chow fun. The chow fun mixes noodles with veggies, so it wasn't the total meat and carb fest that Hawaiian food can often be. The shoyu chicken took me back to my childhood and the mac salad disappeared in a flash.

Bruddah's food isn't fancy or upscale, it's just good local grinds. Oh, and they make their own Portuguese sausage too. Mmmmm... They're closed on Monday's and offer a variety of daily specials every other day. Grab a plate lunch and a can of one of the Hawaiian Sun drinks and you're set.

Cheers!
Druu

BITE ME! the MAN Cooking Show - Shabu-Shabu

2010-06-22T09:29:00.000-07:00

BITE ME! the MAN cooking show
Episode 205 - Shabu-Shabu

The Japanese dish shabu-shabu might possibly be the world's perfect date food. Why? Not only is it light, healthy and delicious, but you cook it together with your date right at the table. She'll think it's crazy romantic and the next thing you know your clothes will be all over the floor.

In this episode, Josh Landis shows you how to set up and serve this secret weapon right in your own dining room. Here are the written recipe instructions.

Shabu-Shabu

1 pound shabu-shabu beef (Find it in the meat section of your local Asian market or have your butcher slice ribeye or top sirloin paper thin)
1 small head of napa cabbage
4 green onions
1 package of enoki mushrooms
1 bunch of chrysanthemum leaves (optional)
1 package firm or medium firm tofu
1 package udon noodles
1 clove garlic, finely chopped (optional)
1 bottle of pon shabu sauce (ponzu dipping sauce)
1 bottle of goma shabu sauce (sesame dipping sauce)
2 cups of white rice (preferably calrose)

Place portable burner in the middle of your table, or where you and your date can both reach it, and start a pot of water boiling. If you don't have a portable electric burner you can use your stove, but the whole cooking-together-date thing works way better with a portable burner at the table. You can get one for about $20 at your local discount store. Cook the rice. (For rice cooking instructions, see BITE ME! the MAN Cooking Show, episode 102.)

Peel off some napa cabbage leaves and cut them into 3-4 pieces each. You want each piece to be a little larger than bite-sized. Cut off the end of each green onion, then cut each one into finger-sized pieces. Cut off the dirty ends of the enoki mushrooms. Cut tofu into 1-inch cubes. Place all of your vegetables, plus the tofu and udon noodles, on a plate or plates next to your pot of boiling water. Pour the two shabu-shabu dipping sauces into small bowls for each of you. Finely chopped garlic goes great with the ponzu sauce, but if you're cooking for a date you might want to pass on it. Once the rice is prepared, fill a bowl with rice for each of you.

To cook and serve, place pieces of vegetables and beef into the boiling water. Cook each bite as you go. The beef only takes about 15 seconds, while the vegetables, noodles and tofu take a few seconds longer. Once cooked, dip the pieces in either of your dipping sauces and eat with rice.

Going Light and Healthy with Shabu-Shabu at Shin-Sen-Gumi in Gardena

2010-06-21T22:06:00.000-07:00

For a light, healthy and delicious meal it's pretty hard to beat shabu-shabu. You cook it yourself, it's quick and easy, it tastes awesome and it never weighs you down. Shin-Sen-Gumi in Gardena is a favorite lunch stop for Joel and me, and Friday was feeling like a shabu-shabu day.

One key to Shin-Sen-Gumi is to go at lunchtime. Ok, dinner there allows you to kick back and have a few Sapporo's or Kirin's with your meal, but going for lunch will generally save you a good amount of cash. The food is the same, but the dinner portions are a little bigger and far more expensive. The large beef is my standard order. A plate of paper thin beef, another plate of cut veggies, udon and tofu, a cup of rice and the standard two dipping sauces and I'm ready to rock 'n roll. There's bar seating as well as table seating.

Shin-Sen-Gumi is having a special during the month of June. They are offering their Japanese style hibachi BBQ dishes for $3.00 each Monday through Thursday, 6-9pm. Also, they offer their shabu-shabu at 50% off for lunch on the 29th of each month. The Shin-Sen-Gumi Group actually runs a total of ten restaurants, nine in Southern California and one in Tokyo. Some specialize in ramen, others yakitori or shabu-shabu.

Another thing to consider is shabu-shabu at home. Again, it's not only delicious and healthy but it's also great date food as you sit together cooking and eating. We've just finished a new BITE ME! the MAN Cooking Show that features Josh Landis demonstrating how to prepare shabu-shabu at home, and we'll have the episode released tomorrow. We'll post the episode to the blog as soon as it has been unleashed.

Cheers!
Druu

Pig Out at the Eat My Blog Charity Bake Sale - Saturday, June 19

2010-06-18T08:17:00.000-07:00

If you find yourself in the mood for some serious grubbing tomorrow, you might want to head over to West Hollywood where the Eat My Blog Charity Bake Sale will be going on from 10am - 4pm. There are going to be gobs and gobs of fine baked goods and other yummies prepared by local chefs, restaurants and food bloggers, with all proceeds going to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. Check out the menu:

Bacon chocolate chip cookies with a maple glaze? Bolivian sweet & salty empanadas? Chocolate Guinness cupcakes? Yeah, this isn't gonna be your standard community bake sale. So, you can pig out on a ton of killer treats that are priced reasonably at $1-$4 each and do your part to help a good cause. SWEET!!!

Oh, and the brand new Manila Machine roving Filipino food truck is supposed to be camped out at the sale from 10am-1pm cooking up adobo, lumpia, pan de sal sliders and more.

The bake sale will be held at Tender Greens, 8759 Santa Monica Blvd. in West Hollywood.

Handling our Indonesian Cravings at Toko Rame in Bellflower

2010-06-17T13:07:00.000-07:00

Casual Indonesian joint Toko Rame in Bellflower is on the Bite Me TV list of lunch stops for those times when we want something a little out of the ordinary, but quick and pretty inexpensive. It's a hole-in-the-wall nestled in the corner of a tiny strip mall literally just north of the 91 freeway (think 40 feet north) on Bellflower Blvd. There's zero impress factor as far as the look of the place, but Toko Rame serves up some good grub at good prices. Plus all the food is Halal, so you can feel comfort knowing that the meat isn't pumped full of the hormones, antibiotics and other garbage that our food industry has gotten us used to.

I went with their Nasi Rames combo plate. It's a good selection for those unfamiliar with Indonesian food as it has a little of this and a little of that without getting scary with wild ingredients. They start with rice (of course), then add beef rendang (a dark and spicy helping of beef brisket), a bowl of veggie curry, a mashed potato cake, a drumstick of fried chicken, a cool mix of veggies that's sort of an Asian slaw, and a hard-boiled egg covered in chili sauce. The potato cake is easily my favorite part of the dish. It's delicious. The beef rendang is also yummy. It's tender and has a bit of a kick. Overall, the combo offers a good mix of spicy and mild and is a good value at $7.50.

Joel went with the Nasi Timbel Parahyangan combo. It's similar to the dish I had, except that it kicks up the adventure a little. That's deep fried fish you see in the middle of the plate, plus tofu, a small bowl of tamarind soup, a drumstick of fried chicken and rice wrapped in a banana leaf.

Except for a couple of fish dishes, everything on the menu is priced under $10. The service is quick, the food is good and the place is casual and seemingly never very crowded. That's "thumbs up" for a midweek lunch.

Cheers!
Druu

Three Sheets is Coming Back with More Libations

2010-06-16T12:42:00.000-07:00

If you're a fan of the cable TV series Three Sheets, then you know that Zane Lamprey's show has endured quite a roller coaster ride since its humble beginnings. If you've never heard of Three Sheets, then let me fill you in.

Three Sheets is a drinking travel show hosted by comedian and everyone's drinking buddy Zane Lamprey. Mix drinking customs and related history from around the world with pub crawling and cavorting, and you've got the idea. In other words it's awesome! History because it's good for you, and drinking because it feels so good...all wrapped up in one package ready for you to enjoy. The show first aired on the early HD network MOJO. When MOJO went belly up at the end of 2008, Three Sheets had aired 3 seasons and the 4th was in production. Fine Living Network picked up the series in 2009 and aired the new 4th season as well as the earlier episodes. Then, Scripps Networks, the owner of Fine Living as well as the Food Network, decided to rebrand Fine Living into the Cooking Channel starting in June 2010 and Three Sheets was dropped like a rock. It's not a cooking show, after all.

So, here we are. Fine Living is now the Cooking Channel and Three Sheets is off the air. But it's coming back soon! SWEET!!! Scripps Networks recently bought the Travel Channel (which must have pissed Anthony Bourdain off to no end) and thank goodness somebody over there at the Travel Channel had the good sense to add Three Sheets to their line-up. No word yet on when season 5 will go into production, but we'll spread the word once we get it.

In the meantime, Zane Lamprey is on the road all over the U.S. doing his Drinking Made Easy Comedy Tour and is shooting a Drinking Made Easy TV show for HDNet. The comedy tour runs through July. For dates and locations, head here. The show is supposed to air on HDNet beginning in September.

Dinner with the First Lady (sort of) at Osteria Mozza

2010-06-15T12:25:00.000-07:00

I got together with my brother Josh Landis, who hosts BITE ME! the MAN Cooking Show, for dinner last night. He mentioned an Italian place not too far from his pad in Hollywood that looks interesting, so we decided to give it a try. It turns out Josh has a good eye.

Osteria Mozza, and Pizzeria Mozza next door, are owned by celebrity chefs Nancy Silverton and Mario Batali and restauranteur/wine expert Joseph Bastianich. Osteria Mozza sits at the corner of Melrose and Highland Avenues. Reservations are HIGHLY recommended, but we lucked out and were able to simply walk in and get seated at the mozzarella bar.

The mozzarella bar is probably my choice for the best seating, as opposed to the tables. You sit at a wide expanse of marble that is covered with plates, little metal characters like the bunny family above, candles and foodstuffs for the cooks to use as they prepare antipasti and such. Plus, the cooks are doing some of their work right in front of you and are very approachable. Many thanks to Grace (that's her in the pic behind the wine and bunnies) for helping us through the menu and giving us the lowdown on the place.

The vibe is urban relaxed upscale and the food is pretty darn fabulous. Dark wood, tall ceilings, wine bottles everywhere and an open layout that lets the crowd chatter waft through the space help lend an energy to the place. We started with some cheese and white wine. That's the cheese dish above, burrata with leaks vinaigrette and mustard breadcrumbs. The presentation was awesome and the taste even better. The mustard is prominent, but mixes well with the flavors of the cheese, vinaigrette and leek.

For pasta, Josh took a step out of the ordinary with their corzetti stampati with eggplant, olive and sheeps milk ricotta. It was light and delicious. I went for a classic Roman pasta dish, spaghetti carbonara, and found it too salty. That was disappointing, however it was the only low point in an extremely enjoyable dinner. A bit of espresso following our meal picked me right back up, plus Josh let me have a couple of bites of his corzetti stampati.

Ok, so here's the exciting end to our dinner. As we left the restaurant, we noticed that we were suddenly surrounded by police and security guys. There were police cars and three big black SUV's, a camera dude from TMZ watching and waiting on the sidewalk like a vulture and people milling about wondering which celebrity warranted all the security. It turns out that while we were finishing our dinner, First Lady Michelle Obama was in a private dining room on the other side of the wall beginning her dinner. Nice... One interesting note is that all of the Secret Service agents looked like clean-cut Orange County country club guys. They left their dark suits and sunglasses at home, and instead went for the golf shirt and khaki pants vibe.

Next time, we're gonna have to give the pizza at Pizzeria Mozza a try. For info and reservations, head to mozza-la.com.

Salute!
Druu

Gaffey Street Diner

2010-06-14T09:52:00.000-07:00

Featured on Food Network's Diners Drive-Ins and Dives, the Gaffey Street Diner is located near the end of the Terminal Island Freeway and the end of the 110 Freeway.

It's an awesome diner that offers huge, heaping portions at reasonable prices. I had the Eggs Florentine and my wife tried the Chile Verde yesterday for brunch, and both were outstanding. Sometimes there are lines outside, but it's worth the wait. They recently expanded their hours and are now serving dinner. Visit their website at http://www.gaffeystreetdiner.com/

Christopher Michael Handcrafted Chocolates

2010-06-12T18:16:00.000-07:00

I first found out about Christopher Michael Handcrafted Chocolates last week at the Wine Lab in Newport Beach, and decided to stop by the store to check out what his chocolates are all about. I was floored by the variety of hand-painted chocolates that are available there.

I even found myself buying as much in chocolate as I would buy in groceries at Costco, especially the sizzling bacon chocolate... Yeah, Chris' stuff is that good!

Chris at his store.

Also found out that he is the Chocolatier to The Grammy Awards and The Academy Awards. He's been featured on the Today Show, CBS Early Show, Extra!, and Fox & Friends. Great job Chris!

Visit him at http://www.chrischocolates.com/ or just show up at his store at 2346 Newport Blvd in Costa Mesa.

Burgers and Beers at Father's Office in Culver City

2010-06-11T14:43:00.000-07:00

Last night, the Bite Me TV crew hung out with James Rooke and Brandon Merenick of the Canadian indie rock band Low Level Flight. The band is in L.A. to play at a Hollywood charity event tonight and shoot a music video over the weekend. They're staying over on the West Side, so we decided to take the guys to Father's Office in Culver City for their awesome burgers and killer beer selection.

(In front - Bite Me TV's Druu, Joel Bonifacio and Joei Bonifacio)

(In back - Low Level Flight's Brandon Merenick and James Rooke)
Photo by Ernie Uy

Father's Office is one of the new breed of hip gastropubs that are popping up all over town. A gastropub, you ask??? Take a pub, add some gourmet-ish food to the menu, dress the place up so it has a hip vibe and focus on boutique beers, spirits and such, and you've got yourself a gastropub. It's a fancy pub that's spendier than it's old-fashioned, standard pub cousin. Father's Office, in particular, is known for offering up one of the best burgers around as well as for having an extensive selection of beers on tap and by the bottle.

Their burger is pretty fabulous. I'm not sure if it's the best burger I've ever had, but it's definitely one of the best. It's thick and juicy, served with gruyere and blue cheese, carmelized onions and arugula on a roll (instead of a bun). It is only served one way, so don't bother trying to ask for ketchup, no cheese, etc., etc.

Their sweet potato fries are also most excellent, and are served with a garlic aioli. An order is usually large enough to share between two people.

Now, Father's Office can get crowded. Very crowded, and there are no reservations. You may have to stand around with your drink, watching like a hawk for a table to become available. Oh, and you'll probably have to place your order (even for the food) up at the bar. But if you can put up with that, you'll be richly rewarded with a yummy meal and some quality liquid refreshments. There are two locations, one in Culver City in the old Helm's Bakery building and the original in Santa Monica.

Cheers!
Druu

Sushi and More at Hashigo in Fullerton

2010-06-10T13:00:00.000-07:00

I've walked and driven by Hashigo in Fullerton a bazillion times since they opened, and finally went in to check the place out and taste what they've got. It's a hipster lounge/restaurant/sushi bar in a town center at the foot of the Sunny Hills area of Fullerton. Considering that space is fairly small, Hashigo is laid out very nicely and doesn't feel crowded inside.

Upon entering, you can select which part of the restaurant you'd like to sit in. The menu is the same whether you pick the laid back lounge area, the more standard restaurant area or the sushi bar. My wife and I decided the lounge was the place to hang, and it was a nice change from your standard restaurant seating. We basically each had our own couch with a table between us.

Now, the best time to visit Hashigo is probably during happy hour, which is 5:30-7pm each evening. Unfortunately, we just missed it by about 20 minutes. $2.95 hand rolls, $5-6 appetizers like stuffed shiitake mushrooms, Kogi-style kalbi tacos, spicy tuna tartare, 50% off well drinks...yup, that's the time to go.

Ok, so happy hour was out of the question. No problem, though, as they had some interesting items on their regular menu.

Their miso shishito peppers were delicious. Shishito peppers look sorta like skinny jalapenos. They're not very spicy (though every once in a while you might find one with a kick) and the miso sauce they're grilled in makes for a very pleasant taste mix of sweet and mildly spicy. Those are bonito shavings you see sprinkled on top.

Their take on Hawaiian-style poke is more delicate than most. The fish isn't overpowered by the sesame flavor. Very nice...and they didn't only use tuna. There was also salmon and some kind of white fish.

It's hard to resist mochi ice cream for dessert (green tea, strawberry and mango). I just love that stuff, and while I can find it pretty easily in the freezer sections of every Asian market around, I had no problem paying a little extra for a groovy presentation in the cool lounge setting.

Hashigo actually has three locations, sushi bars in both Fullerton and Huntington Beach and a Korean restaurant in Costa Mesa. Find them on the web here.

Next time, we're going back for happy hour!

Kampai!
Druu

Gimmee My Coffee at Fullerton's Steamers Jazz Club

2010-06-09T12:34:00.000-07:00

Steamers Jazz Club and Cafe in Downtown Fullerton is one of the best places in Orange County (or all of Southern California, for that matter) to hang out and listen to live jazz. It's an intimate joint where you can listen to live jazz every night, have a bite to eat, have a drink or three, sit right up next to the stage or just hang out cafe-style out front on the sidewalk. All sorts of acts play there, from local big bands to big names like Grammy-winner Poncho Sanchez (he seems to play there about once a month).

But there's another side of Steamers that only the locals really know about. It's a pretty cool place to kick back in the morning for some coffee and breakfast. Their breakfast bagel sandwiches are yummy and fairly priced, they're never crowded in the morning so you can stretch out and read the paper, they play video recordings of previous live jazz sets at a low volume so you still get the jazz vibe, and they make a pretty damn good cafe mocha.

Steamers is located at 138 W. Commonwealth, just west of Harbor Blvd.

Cheers!
Druu

Noodle Soup and Buns of Goodness at Carson's Mami King

2010-06-08T18:08:00.000-07:00

The sun came out this afternoon but at lunchtime the sky was overcast, which got Joel and I in the mood for some noodles and soup. It was a Mami King day.

Mami (pronounced sort of like "mommy") could be considered the Philippine version of America's chicken noodle soup. Start with thin noodles in a hot and light broth, then add scallions, some shredded napa cabbage and select the kind of meat you want in it. There are three Mami King locations in Southern California that we know of, Carson (where we ate), West Covina and Buena Park. Mami is one of their specialties, and siopao is the other. Called bao or baozi in China, where they originated, manapua where I grew up in Hawaii and siopao in the Philippines, they are steamed buns filled with various meat or vegetable fillings. They're a small meal in a bun, and since the filling is completely enclosed in the bread-like dough they're not messy. Uh-huh, pretty close to the perfect finger food to go, right? Hell yeah.

Joel had a bowl of special mami, which basically has everything in the kitchen thrown in it, along with a pork siopao. He cut it open so we could get a pic of the meaty deliciousness. I went with a bowl of siomai mami, which has two Chinese dumplings buried under the noodles so you can't see them in the picture, along with a chicken siopao. Good grubbage, for sure.

Carson's Mami King is in a tiny strip mall at the corner of Main St. and 223rd. The place isn't much to look at from the outside, but the food is very satisfying while not being very heavy and won't break the bank. My bowl of mami, siopao and a coke cost about $9.

Cheers!
Druu

Wine Lab in Newport Beach

2010-06-08T08:46:00.000-07:00

Waiting for a yacht cruise, my buddy Marvin (Executive Chef from Playboy) and I stumbled upon the Wine Lab to kill some time. The atmosphere was great and Taryn, the host/manager was even better. They have beer on tap and wines by the glass. They serve rustic pizza, cheeses, and olives to compliment your favorite beverages. They also had specialty products like chocolate from Christoper Michael, Marvin's classmate from le Cordon Bleu. Prices are reasonable and a great hang in Newport. They're on PCH across from the BMW dealership located at 2901 W Coast Hwy, Newport Beach 92663 . Here's their website: winelabnewport.com

Mexican Comfort Food at Super Mex

2010-06-07T17:19:00.000-07:00

Joel and I got together for lunch today, and we both had a hankering for some Mexican food so we thought we oughtta stop in on one of our local favorites...Super Mex. Super Mex started as this little hole-in-the-wall joint in Long Beach back in the 1970's. They gained a huge local following in their first couple of decades and started expanding. They now have more than a dozen restaurants around the Long Beach area, in Orange County and even in Las Vegas. Thankfully, though, they're still a family-owned operation and haven't morphed into some giant food conglomerate with bland food. Yup, almost 40 years after opening up shop their food is still top-notch. It ain't fancy, but it's yummy.

In fact, one old friend of mine who moved away to Chicago once even had me bring some Super Mex burritos on the plane with me when I went to visit him. Chicago may have Rick Bayless and his gourmet Mexican cuisine, but Long Beach rocks the kick-ass Super Mex grub.

One of my faves is their combo #1, a shredded beef taco, a cheese enchilada and some beans. A lot of locals prefer their burritos, but for me it's all about their shredded beef taco. It's comfort food to the max!

For more info on Super Mex and their locations, find them on the web at http://www.supermex.com/.

Salud!
Druu

Santa Barbara Winery's Negrette is Going Bye-Bye

2010-06-05T11:52:00.000-07:00

The area around Santa Barbara is wine country, and one of the places we always stop in whenever in town is the Santa Barbara Winery. The winery is only a couple of blocks from the beach and the main drag of State Street, they make some good wine, they're open every day and it's inexpensive to do a testing there.

One of my personal favorites is their Negrette. It's a delicious red that's not too bold, not too weak and makes me happy every time I drink it. At $24 a bottle, it's more expensive than a lot of the wines you can find at your local grocery store or Trader Joe's, but not crazy pricey. The bad news, though, is that their current batch of 2006 Negrette is their last batch. The vineyard where they source the grapes for this wine decided to tear out this variety of grapes and plant some other type that they can make more money on. DAMN!!! I can't blame anyone for trying to make a buck, but I'm gonna miss this Negrette.

Maybe I should take this as a challenge to find a new fave Negrette. Yeah, I think that's what I'll do.

Santa Barbara Winery can be found at 202 Anacapa Street in Santa Barbara and on the web at sbwinery.com.

Cheers!
Druu

Vietnamese in Carson at Blue Lotus

2010-06-04T17:43:00.000-07:00

In the past few years, Vietnamese food has gained a whole lot of popularity throughout Southern California. Pho joints have popped up all over the place, and if you haven't tried pho yet (Vietnamese noodle soup) then get your butt outta the house and get some.

Carson is known more for Filipino food than any other type of cuisine, but there are at least three small Vietnamese restaurants in town. The newest (about a year old or so) and the one with the most pleasing decor is Blue Lotus, at the corner of Carson Street and Main Street. The building used to be a Del Taco fast food joint, but it's been reworked and upgraded into Blue Lotus. Dark wood tables, richly colored walls and a custom-built waterfall near the entrance gives Blue Lotus a step up in ambience over the typical pho joint, making it acceptable for a casual date or a business lunch, and the food is pretty yummy.

Above is a dish of grilled chicken with vermicelli and an egg roll (bun ga nuong cha gio) along with a glass of iced coffee. Their iced coffee is not the sweet Thai iced coffee you might be used to. It looks similar, but is stronger and only a little sweet. It definitely has more balls than the Thai stuff. Below are Blue Lotus' house special rice (com dac biet 5 mon) and a more Chinese than Vietnamese combination crispy chow mein (mi xao don tham cam).

Blue Lotus can be found at 21705 Main Street in Carson. They're open every day from 10am to 10pm, and there's nothing on the menu over $9.50.

Wings and Things at EJ Malloy's in Long Beach

2010-06-03T17:38:00.000-07:00

Buffalo wings are just about as close as you can get to the perfect "guy food". Messy, spicy, saucy things that you have to eat with your hands while you tear the flesh from the bones with your teeth...yeah, we're talking caveman eating in a big way.

One of our favorite joints for wings is EJ Malloy's in Long Beach. They actually have two locations in the city, the original at 3411 Broadway in Belmont Heights and a second location at 4306 Atlantic Ave. in Bixby Knolls. Wings come in mild, medium and nuclear heat levels and in one, two and three pound servings. A plate full of carrot and celery sticks is served on the side along with ranch dipping sauce. Pair the wings with one of the fine brews EJ Malloy's serves (Fat Tire, Karl Strauss Amber, Guiness, Fosters, etc., etc., etc.), watch the game on one of the many TV screens around the pub and you've reached pub-grub heaven.

Upscale Cafe Breakfast at Andersen's in Santa Barbara

2010-06-03T10:56:00.000-07:00

Santa Barbara has a number of yummy eateries to tempt your tastebuds. It can get a little pricey if you're not careful, but that's what you get in an upscale resort-ish town like SB. For a European-style cafe experience, try Andersen's on State Street, Santa Barbara's main drag. It's a Danish bakery and restaurant/cafe that serves some crazy-good pastries and some fine cafe fare.

Check out these pastries. Just looking at their offerings can get your mouth watering. One local favorite is their apple strudel, but these French waffles really caught my eye.

I was there for breakfast, and I noticed a croissant French toast on the menu. Oh yeah, I HAD to try that! It was delicious, and looked great too. The fresh berries really took it over the top.

And not only do they make the perfect looking cappucino, but their cafe mocha is some serious chocolaty goodness.

Andersen's is at 1106 State Street in Santa Barbara and on the web at andersenssantabarbara.com.

Ahi Burger & Strawberry Lemonade at Hollywood's Kitchen 24

2010-06-02T20:10:00.000-07:00

Hollywood diner Kitchen 24 has a cool vibe, good food and a great location for getting some post Hollywood bar-hopping grub. Find them at 1608 N. Cahuenga, just south of Hollywood Blvd.

Ahi tuna burger with a spiced up French potato salad. The burger's a little messy, but yummy.

The potato salad has a little kick. $12.95

Strawberry lemonade - K24's home-made lemonade with

muddled strawberries and Absolut Citron vodka. Happy, fruity

and not too strong. $12.00

Dim Sum for lunch!

2010-06-02T14:51:00.001-07:00

Sea Empress Seafood Restaurant
1636 W Redondo Beach Blvd
Gardena CA 90274
310-538-6868
http://www.gardenaseaempress.com/

Food was outstanding and about $35 for two hungry men.

BITE ME! the MAN Cooking Show - Seared Ahi Tuna with Mixed Greens and Wasabi Vinaigrette

2010-06-02T11:42:00.000-07:00

Let's start things off with our latest episode of BITE ME! the MAN Cooking Show. Josh demonstrates how to make seared ahi paired with mixed greens and a wasabi vinaigrette. Here's the recipe.

Seared Ahi

2 slabs of ahi (or yellowfin) tuna, about 3" x 3" or so each
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons black sesame seeds
salt and pepper

Heat an oiled pan or griddle on high. Coat both sides of the ahi pieces first with oil, then with salt, pepper and black sesame seeds. Once the pan has heated up, place one of the ahi pieces on the pan. You should hear it sizzling. (If not, remove it from the pan and wait until the pan is hotter.) Cook for about 2 minutes, or until you see a thin stripe of white on the side you are cooking. Flip it over and repeat on the other side. Once both sides are cooked, stand the ahi up on it's side and cook the two ends. Remove from the heat and repeat for the second piece of ahi.

Slice each ahi piece into 1/3" strips. Make sure you slice in the direction that gives you strips that are cooked on the ouside but raw on the inside. Arrange the slices on a plate like a fan, leaving some room for your salad.

Mixed Greens Salad with Wasabi Vinaigrette

Mixed greens salad mix
1 tablespoon honey
1/8 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup sesame oil
1 teaspoon of wasabi (or to taste)
1 tablespoon of cilantro leaves

Mix the honey, vinegar and oils in a small bowl or measuring cup. Add wasabi to your preferred heat level. You can find wasabi in paste or powdered form, and it may come in different strengths. We used wasabi paste packaged in a tube for the video. Chop up a few cilantro leaves (no stems) so that you have about a tablespoon of chopped cilantro, then mix it into the vinaigrette.

Arrange some of the mixed green salad on the plate next to the fan of seared ahi. Top the salad with the vinaigrette.

Bite Me TV now has a FOOD BLOG!!!

2010-06-02T10:08:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Bite Me TV's new food blog!

We should have thought of this a long time ago. After all, Bite Me TV started out as an idea for a cooking show for guys. We've always been a bunch of foodies, eating and drinking our way around the world while trying out new recipes, and while we jumped into the web TV world with our shows BITE ME! the MAN Cooking Show and Drink 'n Play, it's only recently that we started thinking about adding a food blog to the mix.

We made it a habit some time ago to take pics and get some details everytime we find something delicious, and now we'll be sharing our finds with you. It's all about eating, drinking and being happy! We hope you enjoy.

Cheers!

Joel, Druu and the rest of the Bite Me TV crew