Memorable/Simply Wholesome

Finally, a perfect meal at Simply Wholesome off Slauson and Hill. Umm umm good! I was starving and fatigued from my recent trip to Vegas to visit my father. I couldn't decide what to order and received some help from the young man working there. I was hesitant to order the blackened fish, thinking that it might be too spicy for my gastrointestinal system to handle but boy was I wrong. I'm still thinkin about it,. Dude, it was the best sauce that I've ever eaten, and no I wasn't that hungry. The fish was moist and delicate and an ample amount. It was served with vegetables and spinach. My first thought was to grab the hot sauce and salt & pepper but I hesitated until I took the first bite of a piece of zucchinni, damn that was good and cooked perfectly. I'm still remembering that unexpected lunch. I don't work in the area anymore and haven't been back, but I definitely will return.

In My Hood/La Provence Pastier & Cafe

I walked north on Barrington to Brentwood's La Provence Pastier & Café, on San Vicente Blvd.
I ordered a Mexican salad and went outside to sit on their balcony. I was served my salad promptly with no regard to anything else. A glass of water would have been welcomed on a hot day in the sun. I asked for cracked black pepper and got a fine grain pepper that needed to be used generously. So when the waiter asked to take the pepper I asked to keep it. Later another waiter came to my table asking if I was done with the pepper. I said that I was, afraid of what he might do if I said no. My morrocan mint iced tea was flavorful but wanting to be more chilled with more ice, again with no regard of needs during a fine dining experience for a Sunday afternoon.

A Feast For All Eyes

Los Tapatios at 11045 S. Hawthorne Blvd. in the city of Lennox is a great experience.
When you enter the small restaurant in the mini mall you see the back wall lined with cheese, juice, horchata, and other dairy items. Along the left wall is the meat market with robust business. The people that run the restaurant are very nice but don't speak English and don't take credit cards, only cash. I eaten the several things including the caldo and they are delicious. Most memorable was a large keg style clear bottle holding freshly made watermelon juice on a hot summer's day. I always look to go back to Los Tapitios.

Hey ya all! Three Bears Burgers is Back!!!
The owner, Sherry, said that she hopes to reopen her kitchen again by April 10th. In case you didn't know, they had a fire. Sherry said that people were calling the radio station trying to find out what happened to the burger place since the great american burger.
I just found out today that Three Bears BBQ is at about 537 LaCienega Blvd. & Market, near the Soul Food Kitchen, in Inglewood. I'm headed that way Friday with my new friends from work. Chow!

Local and Authentic Mexican Food

I have been meaning to try Pili's Tacos down the street from me at 11924 Santa Monica Blvd., West of Barrington. I tried two tacos, one chicken and the other al pastor. I tasted the chicken first and it was robust with flavor, apparently marinated. I ordered the onions and cilantro (cebello) on both, with red hot sauce to be poured over, drenching the tacos, one by one. I was in heaven, these were the flavors that I was used to eating in South Central.


I met whom I believed to be Phil when he told me that this restaurant is a family business and also the little gift shop next door. I liked Phil and he sure works hard running this place. Phil is originally from 155th and Central Avenue and now resides in Santa Monica. I have since been back twice and found out after asking Phil what his name was, he responded, "Greg". Sorry for the error Greg.


Oh! I almost forgot, the most impressive thing is a hand-written menu of various juices that are fabulous, like beet, and carrot. I like this little local Mexican restaurant and give it high marks, especially when I met the sweetest man visiting the restaurant with his brother. I'm going to meet him right now. Chow!

The Western Smoke House at 10640 Woodbine Street at Overland is a mighty fine Texan style restaurant. I tried a combo dinner of pork ribs and beef brisket for $22.99. The beef brisket is slow cooked in an old fashioned pit. The au jus for the brisket is tantalizingly delicious and memorable. I want to go back for a brisket sandwich.
The atmosphere is a little stuffy with some stress serving up all the folk there for the q. but you get past that and enjoy a Texan style barbeque with hefty sized side portions. I remember the beans being good and the cole slaw very fresh. I want to also go back to try "Tina's" Fried Chicken.
There is a cow out front of the restaurant that is amuzing.

A GOOD BURGER RECEIPE, MY OWN
I am very happy to begin adding my own receipes to my blog in order to offer you more variety.

I will include in today's blog my favorite receipe that I have created for a "good" cheeseburger.

My Burger

Ingredients:

1/4 lb. ground beef

1/2 crumbled triscuit

garlic

red onion

zucchinni

avacado

cheese

onion salt, salt, and pepper

mustard, ketchup, mayo

habenero chili sauce



Please join my blog!

Mixed Experience

A dream come true experience watching the waiter serve up a bbq sandwich to be moderatedly disappointed, ultimately. The meat was of good quality and smoked for nine hours in hickory chips but there was too many bites of fat, unappealing to the palate. The bbq sauce was so mild that it did nothing to compliment the meat. The sesame bun was okay. I only ate half of the sandwich but my stomach was churning from nerves, in just accepting a job offer one hour ago.
The first bite of the cole slaw was going to be the saviour for the twelve dollars sandwich. It did come with slaw and beans but without the job offer I wouldn't be eating here on my budget.
I love the Bread and Porridge restaurant after several years of frequenting it but today was a let down, sorry.

AKASHA/A GOOD BURGER & MORE

Finally a good hamburger on the West side of Los Angeles. Since I live on the West side and no longer work in South Los Angeles, (notice the new name for the city) I am branching out to review and taste the best of the West side. I am inspired enough to now write about my very first GOOD HAMBURGER find. Yes, a delicious hamburger exists on the West side, and it was a pleasure to eat there too, at AKASHA, 9543 Culver Blvd. in Culver City. The restaurant was industrial in style, with open fittings and tubing on the ceiling, yet adding a warmth with an open wall of wide dark wooden slats to my right.

I still didn't know if I was in the right place, where some odd months ago a young couple that I met at the Bagel Nosh recommended a restaurant that made a good burger. The turkey burger was recommended but I proudly stated that I would be ordering the beef burger with cheese. My plate came presented cleanly with a side of cole slaw. The first thing that I noticed was that cute little happy bun on the top, yet a little small in size.   The first bite was nice, hot and juicy with a perfect size and thickness. It was cooked well also, medium well like I ordered. I could tell that the beef was of high quality yet a nice grilled flavor stuck in my palate. The "special sauce" they call it on the menu was their own brand of kecthup. It was deliciously smokey with a sweetness like barbeque sauce, and had me licking my fingers in culinary delight. The burger came along side one leaf of lettuce, two small heirloom tomatoes, and grilled onions. I generously dressed my burger and also enjoyed little nibbles of the slim dill pickle, marinated in vinegar,  (that was both delicious and crisp), in between my bites. I prefer my pickle on the burger, but hey, this is the West side. The cole slaw was well executed, a lovely taste of dill.  But somehow the slaw didn't stand up to the freshness, with a tangy yet soggy taste, perhaps unhappy about spending the night before in the refrigerator.
When my server, Rob Blanchard asked how I liked the burger I told him that I could almost eat another, it was so darn good. Rob said that he has completed an exciting novel that he is excited about. I can not develge further.  He was a joy to have in this experience.  The cheese, well it gets high marks for taste, being cheddar or gueryue.
When I began to leave I chatted up the hostess, raving again about their burger when the owner came out. Asking if he was a chef, he said "no, but my wife is". Ironically, her name is "Akasha". I reported that my only criticism of the burger was that the bun, even though it was hot, may have been bigger. Allan agreed stating that he had made the same comment. Allan said that I must try the onion rings, which looked awesome, like wide rings of ribbons. He was very happy to have received my rave review and said that he heard about it in the kitchen. This topped our day. I can't wait to return, with the lingering aftermaths of a good burger.

Harley Dogs on Vermont Street off Manchester Boulevard was a small hot dog stand run by Earl. He calls it Harley Dogs because he loves Harley Davidson motorcycles. It was a very rainy day and cold as hell . I stood under Earl's umbrella waiting to be what seemed like forever. Finally after a while longer of complaining about the cold rain and wind Harley told me to wait in his truck since I was without an umbrella. Earl is a fine man, a gentleman indeed.
I liked his dog dripping in condiments of mustard, ketchup and relish oozing out of the end of the bun. Sadly, I went back to see Earl on several occassions but to no avail, no Harley hot dog cart and no Earl. Good things never seem to last!

A Different Taco

The Calbi Taco Truck was fantastic! I stopped and tried it as I was walking to the bank on Wilshire Blvd. I got more bang for my buck with this korean style taco than none other. The taco's meat portion was surprisingly plentiful. The taco was very flavorful overall.
The Korean style marinade was spicy hot and most delicious. I remember the meticulous dressing on the top, with perfectly shredded white cabbage. I took some hot sauce to go but found the taco to be temptingly hot, not needing the sauce.
I enoyed it very much but since then I find myself following the news to see where they are located, wanting another Calbi taco.
I love all of those diferent style food trucks, like the grilled cheese truck and the nomi nomi truck.