Me And Pastrami McGee

 LA is filled with hundreds of greasy spoons that boast colorful signage typically touting the words: burgers, pastrami, burritos. While many of these fondas are best used in an emergency, I did decide to investigate the role of pastrami (outside of a Jewish deli) in the larger SoCal comida universe. Pastrami (from the Romanian pastram meaning 'to keep') is usually made from beef that is brined, dried, seasoned, smoked, and steamed. The result when done properly (as we all know) is tender, packed full of punch, and nothing short of magnifico. I began my meaty research with a slice of the Old Country at Sahag's Basturma where the surly staff crank out Armenian style pastrami (basturma) and soujouk (dried, spicy sausage) pressed in french bread or by the pound. Waiting for my sandwich I felt like I was back in Yerevan (never been) playing checkers with a heavily-cologned colleague and reading crumpled newspapers without photos all day, but when my order came up I hit the streets eager to find a picnic spot.

Before I motored onward I took a quick bite and was astonished. The seasoning tasted strangely similar to Indian pickles but what kind of lunatic would apply Hindu spices to beef? To ponder this obvious contradiction I snaked up to Barnsdall Park to finish what I started.

After diving in, I realized the answer is less theological and more culinary. Similar bouquets are used to zest basturma: cumin, fenugreek, garlic, paprika. Served with some olives, peppers, and thinly sliced pickled radish this cured curiosity hit close to the numbers. In the future I'll know to score my basturma cold cut to eat with huevos (as is popular) or on pita bread with fresh cucumber and tahini sauce.

After digesting for a few days, the next item up for bids was an all expenses paid trip to Pasadena where The Original Tops has been turning cabezas with their succulent pastrami since 1952. Just when you thought The Hat was money, and it certainly is, here comes Tops with a briefcase full of Wilsons. I ordered the Famous Pastrami (Au jus, stacked pastrami, mustard, pickles on a toasted French roll) saddled with shoestring papas, pickled carrots, and chiles all washed down with an icy lemon ole. This juicy sammie was like sinking a Bob Barker hole in one and winning both showcases (the crappy one with furniture plus the cool trip to Rio) on the showdown. With that said, maybe I am serious enough to tackle Langer's delicatessen but until then how good does this look? Come on down!

The Hokkaido Shuffle

With the temps remaining on the chilly side, I (Solo Basura) made a much needed desvio towards Mar Vista for some Asahikawa style ramen. True to form, the small Santouka chain serves regional noodles that are not too hot and not too cold but one hundred percent delicioso. I politely asked for a spicy miso set: ramen (simmered pork broth, bamboo shoots, jelly ear, seasame, negi, cha-shu puerco, picante miso paste), small pork rice bowl, and a boiled egg marinated in mild shoyu. You really do get rewarded in life by asking for things nicely. The broth was buttery, the noodles were near perfecto, and the pork was fatty and flavorful. Even the rice bowl was a hit (must be the juicy pork shoulder) and of course a sliced huevo is a welcome addition to any bowl of noodles. Next time (maybe tomorrow), I'll certainly order their signature shio (salt flavor) ramen that comes topped with a cute pickled plum. Sufficiently warmed and rejuvenated, I hit the streets with an extra spring in my step. Santouka is one ramen-ya that's guaranteed to move your feet and get you out of your seat. Slurp.

Jackpot!

There are few things in Las Vegas more thrilling than the comprehensive Pinball Hall of Fame. So after dusting off my flipper skills and thoroughly rocking a few tables (especially the new Indiana Jones), K and I went on a comida/bebida mission worthy enough for a level 10 wizard.

We made the quick jaunt over to Chinatown, where Ichiza (gracias, Spence) serves up some truly amazing Izakaya style comestibles. Although we were given menus, it's the handmade signs plastered all over the walls that tell the real comida story. 

Along with some juicy pollo yakitori, some of our ordered highlights included a crispy grilled mackerel

a tasty tataki salad with seared tuna, hamachi, and beef

not to mention an incredible cut roll: deep fried natto (fermented soybeans) topped with tuna.

 After dinner we sauntered over to the 'happiest place on earth' where the 'beer is cold and the machines are caliente', but what really makes Frankie's shine (other than that it's open 24 hours) are the pungent tiki drinks and stylish island decor. The potency of concoctions here are rated by a clever skull scale (1 to 5), K sipped on a fruity Malekula (level 2) while I dove in for the lethal Bender Ender (level 5): rums, POG, floated with 160 proof dark. Whoa, upon flying back to an absolutely magnifico hotel room I couldn't stop thinking about our successful Sin City triple play. Next time you're in town give it a spin and good luck!

Dog Day Afternoon

Duly inspired from a photo of an LA hot dog taken by fellow CCB heapster Sausagehead, K and I set forth on a semi-dangerous mission to find some overly decorated versions of the classic Americano favorite. While I had originally picked a couple of hot dog havens in Reseda for this experiment, it just seemed too damned far (later perhaps) so we took the rapido drive to Pasadena instead. Our first stop was The Slaw Dogs where the list of dogs, links, toppings, and sides is long and wide. K opted for the summery Picnic Dog: grilled Vienna all-beef, BBQ sauce, onion rings, potato salad, and pickle spear. I went straight in for The Original: steamed dog, beer chili, shredded queso, mustard, chopped cebollas, and cole slaw. K handled her dog with relative ease while mine was certainly a knife and fork affair. Unfortunately, we skipped the Belgian style (or sweet potato) fries here in order to save room for later. The Slaw Dogs also maintains a creative daily dog special board along with a solid selection of international cervezas.

Next item on the agenda was the Dog Haus only a few blocks away. This place boasts the motto: best of the wurst, so I felt an obligation to include it in our tubular research.

Packing an impressive arsenal of sausages, burgers, and sides the Dog Haus is truly locked and loaded. All Haus Dogs come with a signature 1/4 lb. all-beef skinless served on King's Hawaiian bread (3 rolls split together). This is a bold bread choice because it ensures a sweetness that some purists might snub, but for me it worked out just fine. K went 'healthy' with the Sooo Cali: mixed greens, aguacate, tempura fried onions, diced tomate, and spicy basil aioli. Noticing a connection between my favorite dog (Tijuana style, yes they are better south of the border) and an item on the menu, I ordered the B.L.A.S.T: smoked bacon, lettuce, aguacate, sliced serranos, tomate, topped with mayo. We also ordered some papas fritas but after entering into a coma de comida about halfway through I can't seem to remember much about them. Everybody loves hot dogs which is why they remain a vast and ever-changing food topic. I look forward to addressing (eating) this dynamic subject again but I think I'll wait until the real dog days of summer come steamrolling through the Southland.

Old Habits Die Hard

I'm sure you know the feeling of craving Indian/Pakistani comida and lots of it right? We've all been in this dire situation and luckily there's a simple way to deal with it. Find a local lunch buffet and go for the oro. Today, I decided to relive some fond memories of working a tipico day in the sometimes glorious and occasionally mysterious ciudad of San Francisco. Not that the work was always agreeable, but the camaraderie regarding comida was (and undoubtedly still is) second to none. My first stop was Mezbaan under the old Pasadena Hotel where the steam table was still in full swing. Although the selection here is on the small side, the quality is muy grande: salad, sauces (including an excelente chutney), fish pakora, veggie samosa, tandoori pollo chunks, superb basmati rice, chicken korma, daal, saag, and spicy eggplant all served with a dense naan. As and added bonus I chatted up my waiter who, like myself, walked into this place for the first time that afternoon. This earned him some stern looks from the cashier but my telepathic "sure, he's a shitty server but what a nice fellow" glances back seemed to really smooth things over.

True to SF form, I followed this feast up with a trip to the candy store. After a snappy jaunt down the arroyo, I arrived at Galco's soda pop stop in Highland Park (since 1955) which truly is a mecca of bottled beverages of all shapes and sizes--seltzer and cerveza included.

 Perusing the aisles of Galco's has to be some of the most thirst quenching research known to man. And while I didn't exactly find the items I was looking for (Exhibits A and B), I did make off with a some noteworthy sodas: Cheerwine, Bundaberg Root, and Nesbitt's orange with a roll of Bottle Caps thrown in for good measure. My reenactment of days of yore was a standing success except for the lack of good company, Doors references, and most importantly all those vitamins wrapped in worn and crinkled foil.

 

 For JG, who always had a thing or two about food.

Burmese Please

In celebration of Burma's first open election in viente anos (which was mysteriously won by the incumbent military junta) and more importantly the imminent release of political prisoner and personal hero Aung San Suu Kyi, I decided to dedicate this weekend to my favorite Southeast Asian comida. What Burma lacks in civil liberties is inversely made up for on the dining table. Geographically situated between India, Thailand, Laos, and Southern China; Burma is almost fated to have excellente grub. LA, strangely enough, has a general lack of Burmese restaurants so I started the festivities with Yoma Myanmar in Monterey Park. I had to put on the restraints when I saw the noodle menu (especially Nan Gyi Dok) and resigned myself to order a lunch combo instead: beef curry, fish cake curry, arroz, and a daal-like vegetable soup. Unfortunately all my photos of this plato are terrible, but after talking with the uber friendly waitstaff about my short stay in the border town of Tachileik I asked for an order of fried samusa just to be safe. These little wonders (papas and cauliflower) are served with a mouth-watering sauce flavored by cilantro but is inherently smooth and spicy like an old-fashioned Burma-Shave. More to follow...

Greetings from Inglewood, CA home of The "Fabulous" Forum, Hollywood Park Racetrack, Randy's Donuts, Brian Wilson, and the cozy Mutiara market.

 This Halal cafe specializes in tandoori, kababs, and biryani but serves a few standard Burmese dishes (owner hails from Rangoon) on the weekends. I took this golden opportunity to order up a bowl of Ohn No Khao Swe (a very close relative to Khao Soi): wheat noodles, coconut milk, and curried pollo garnished with cilantro, crispy shallots, dried chiles, hard-boiled egg, and limon. K had curry on the mind and went for the daal-lamb combo: chunky lamb and lentil curry, salad, naan, and basmati rice. The gregarious proprietor of Muriata not only told us about his ethnic roots but also informed us that the secret of making good food is to cook the rice perfectly so it "stays long". I have no idea what that means but it seems to be working.

 Our last stop on the mission of Burma was another Muslim influenced hash house (this time in Culver City) that serves Burmese cuisine after 5 PM and on weekends. The fragrant Jasmine market has a small grocery with an even smaller Burmese menu, but I'll have to take it as it comes.

 I felt an obligation here to order Mohinga the unofficial national dish of Burma. This hearty and gritty soup is typically eaten for desayuno and consists of vermicelli in catfish soup with banana trunk, onions, boiled huevos, garlic, and fried chickpeas. We also added a side of Keema Paratha (spiced ground pollo stuffed in flat-bread served with pickled slaw) to round out the meal. Well, congratulations to the people of Burma for the promise of a brighter future. And, if there are any Burmese nationals reading this who are handy in the cocina, just know that the second largest city in America is awaiting your fantastic comida. Don't say I never did you any favors...

A Heartfelt Missive

If there is one item on the menu that even the most passive comida admirer will undoubtedly have a strong opinion about, it's bound to be pizza pie. Whether the best is found in Chicago, Rome, or a lonely teahouse along a Himalayan trail; folks love to tell you "how it is". As for myself, having lived a number of years in Nueva York, I was exposed to some of the great local pizzerias like Grimaldi's, Patsy's, and Ray's (but which one?). I must confess that although I found these fine establishments tasty, I'm just not sure that I have the pizza "know-how" to write a cultured review on the subject. In fact, my novice skill level has kept me from attempting a pizza entry on CCB thus far, but after receiving a clandestine video from Rackics I acquired the needed inspiration to give it a go.
 

Fortunately, K and I didn't need to travel to Seoul on Sabado to set our sights on a Korean influenced pizza parlor. We weaved our way through traffic to the interestingly named Pizza & Chicken Love Letter for an unhealthy dose of wings de pollo and specialty pie.

Although the main focus here is the sweet potato gold pizza, we ordered the Love Letter Combo #3: bulgogi pizza (basically a classic supreme with marinated barbecued carne), una docena original crispy fried wings (complete with a stainless steel bone receptacle), crunchy ensalada (shredded cabbage, corn, dressing, hot sauce), tangy pickled radish, and a pitcher of cola all signed and sealed with a beso. The pizza was certainly passable but the wings (plain yet flavorful) were well above the typical barroom standard. Next time I'll be sure to order the spicy chili wings (served with loads of diced ajo). It's sad to say that none of our fellow diners broke out into a comida dance in or around their comfy red booths. Maybe we shouldn't rely so heavily on others and start working out some snazzy moves of our own. One thing's for sure, with the handful of coupons we scored I intend to come back for seconds real soon. Kamsamnida!