Okay, I have put off writing about Barrow only because it is such an engrained tradition in the life of my friends and I, that I felt writing about it was a bit lame since one, it is a bar, and two, I had been there so many freaking times, it just sits as an afterthought to me.
However, as I am now in California, and have not been to Barrow for a while, I find myself thinking about it more and more often. I started going to Barrow in my sophomore year of college. I walked by it on they way to school everyday and they had what appeared to be an amazing special for Monday Night Football. They had $3 beers (all 16 drafts) and $25 wings. Now yes, I like wings, but until I tried these, I never realized how good wings could be. I almost have a difficult time eating wings elsewhere now. The wings are perfectly crispy, large in size and very juicy. The sauce (I get the medium) is the perfect blend between spice and flavor. I find the problem with so many wings is they just taste like "spicy." They don't really have any particular taste. These are the best I have ever had. The price of them has gone up to $0.40 per wing on the special or on non-special nights, you can get a basket of 20 for $10. Not bad if you are sharing.
The wings are the thing here, however, the menu is pretty extensive and I would not sway you from trying almost anything. For a guy who doesn't like burgers, I think their turkey burger is outstanding. I also enjoy most of the finger foods...the chicken tenders, the onion rings, the poppers, the waffle fries.
Barrow is a good local sports bar in the West Village and that is a rarity for the area. They have about 20 flatscreen TV's and will pretty much put on any game you suggest.
Worth your while.
Stay hungry my friends.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Tito's Taco (Los Angeles, CA)
Tito’s Tacos has become a Los Angeles landmark. It sits right below the 405 freeway in culver city. This place, like a number of the places I write about, is a dump and pretty much is famous for 1 thing. That one thing, is the thing you should order.
At Tito’s, the thing to get is the classic taco. A hard shell is stuffed with seasoned and marinated shredded beef, topped with lettuce and cheese. Now you might think that sounds pretty basic but the beef is so tender and flavorful, and the shell is crispy in a way that no other taco is, that it stands apart. The kicker at Tito’s is the salsa. They don’t put salsa on the taco, or have a salsa bar. They give you about a pint size container of salsa. Don’t pour this onto your taco or people will know you don’t know what you are doing. You need to just take that taco, and submerge it in the salsa, dipping and scooping out as much of the pureed tomato sauce as possible.
When you go, you should order probably 3-4 tacos. At only $1.50 easch (and they are good size), you can’t really beat this for a good lunch. The only downfalls I would say are the long line, the difficulty in finding a seat to sit (since you order at a counter) and the parking. But when food is really good, you have to make sacrifices, right?
Stay hungry my friends.
At Tito’s, the thing to get is the classic taco. A hard shell is stuffed with seasoned and marinated shredded beef, topped with lettuce and cheese. Now you might think that sounds pretty basic but the beef is so tender and flavorful, and the shell is crispy in a way that no other taco is, that it stands apart. The kicker at Tito’s is the salsa. They don’t put salsa on the taco, or have a salsa bar. They give you about a pint size container of salsa. Don’t pour this onto your taco or people will know you don’t know what you are doing. You need to just take that taco, and submerge it in the salsa, dipping and scooping out as much of the pureed tomato sauce as possible.
When you go, you should order probably 3-4 tacos. At only $1.50 easch (and they are good size), you can’t really beat this for a good lunch. The only downfalls I would say are the long line, the difficulty in finding a seat to sit (since you order at a counter) and the parking. But when food is really good, you have to make sacrifices, right?
Stay hungry my friends.
Thai Taste (Santa Rosa, CA)
I decided that while in LA, I would head up north for the weekend to visit my good friend from college who I had not seen in probably over a year. This visit was long overdue. After college, he moved back to Northern California to pursue acting and recently has been in a number of shows so I finally wanted to see one of his performances.
All that aside, we of course had to eat. For dinner he took me to what is one of his local favorites and of course local favorites, are my favorites as well. We also went for what is arguably my most commonly desired cuisine, Thai. We headed into this little strip mall near his house called Thai Taste. You could tell from the moment you walked in that it was a family owned and operated business because of the service and courtesy the expressed.
Tyler had tried a number of things on the menu and we were not terribly hungry, so we got what we felt would be safe dishes (not that they probably weren’t all good). We got the pinnapple fried rice with chicken and the Panang Curry with beef. Both could have been run of the mill thai, as many thai places are these days, but these two dishes exceeded expectations. Both were great and the portions were enough to fill us up plenty. They were perfectly spiced to the point where you wanted to have a bit of water, but not overwhelming to the point where you couldn’t enjoy all the flavors.
I also go the Tum Yam soup which was solid.
If in this quaint town of Santa Rosa, check out Thai Taste for an inexpensive and delicious meal.
Stay hungry my friends.
All that aside, we of course had to eat. For dinner he took me to what is one of his local favorites and of course local favorites, are my favorites as well. We also went for what is arguably my most commonly desired cuisine, Thai. We headed into this little strip mall near his house called Thai Taste. You could tell from the moment you walked in that it was a family owned and operated business because of the service and courtesy the expressed.
Tyler had tried a number of things on the menu and we were not terribly hungry, so we got what we felt would be safe dishes (not that they probably weren’t all good). We got the pinnapple fried rice with chicken and the Panang Curry with beef. Both could have been run of the mill thai, as many thai places are these days, but these two dishes exceeded expectations. Both were great and the portions were enough to fill us up plenty. They were perfectly spiced to the point where you wanted to have a bit of water, but not overwhelming to the point where you couldn’t enjoy all the flavors.
I also go the Tum Yam soup which was solid.
If in this quaint town of Santa Rosa, check out Thai Taste for an inexpensive and delicious meal.
Stay hungry my friends.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Tenzan (New York, NY)
For as much as I eat sushi, it is strange I have yet to review a sushi or Japanese restaurant. Well it’s about time! Tenzan, on 76th and Columbus has quickly become perhaps my favorite sushi eatery. I take into account not just the food, but the service and the pricing as well.
Like most sushi joints, Tenzan offers a lunch special where you can get either 2 rolls for $8 or 3 rolls for $11. Now most places who offer this deal cheap out on the size of the roll or add extra cucumber and cut out some of the portion of the fish. Not at Tenzan. Their rolls are equally as big at lunch time as they are at dinner. And their rolls are HUGE. They are perhaps the biggest rolls I have ever had.
I am not going to go into the rolls as most sushi joints have fairly similar menus but, I will say that every roll I have ordered ther, has been fresh and excellent.
There are a few unique items that I have tried and loved. Because I like to try many different things, as you might have noticed from my blog, I try to get a few appetizers. Go for the rock shrimp tempura, the gyoza or the yellowtail tartar. All awesome opening acts.
The biggest letdown of Tenzan has been their entrees. I have gotten both beef and chicken teriyaki and both were bland and a bit dry. The other entrée I dined on, the Chilean Sea Bass was just plain old boring. Maybe I am just spoiled though since I discovered this dish at Sushi Samba where it is amazing.
Whether it be lunch or dinner and you need good sushi at a reasonable price, hit up Tenzan.
Stay hungry my friends.
Like most sushi joints, Tenzan offers a lunch special where you can get either 2 rolls for $8 or 3 rolls for $11. Now most places who offer this deal cheap out on the size of the roll or add extra cucumber and cut out some of the portion of the fish. Not at Tenzan. Their rolls are equally as big at lunch time as they are at dinner. And their rolls are HUGE. They are perhaps the biggest rolls I have ever had.
I am not going to go into the rolls as most sushi joints have fairly similar menus but, I will say that every roll I have ordered ther, has been fresh and excellent.
There are a few unique items that I have tried and loved. Because I like to try many different things, as you might have noticed from my blog, I try to get a few appetizers. Go for the rock shrimp tempura, the gyoza or the yellowtail tartar. All awesome opening acts.
The biggest letdown of Tenzan has been their entrees. I have gotten both beef and chicken teriyaki and both were bland and a bit dry. The other entrée I dined on, the Chilean Sea Bass was just plain old boring. Maybe I am just spoiled though since I discovered this dish at Sushi Samba where it is amazing.
Whether it be lunch or dinner and you need good sushi at a reasonable price, hit up Tenzan.
Stay hungry my friends.
Redi Chick (Los Angeles, CA)
The Brentwood Country Mart has slowly become a landmark in Brentwood over the past 50 years. What started as a “mom and pop” type farmers market with gift shops, has quickly grown to become a very high class, expensive shopping and eating destination. With designer stores, fancy candy and the new City Bakery (same as the one in NYC), I personally feel the Country Mart has lost its family and comfort.
One thing has remained the same however: Redi Chick. I love keeping things simple and consistent and I really can’t think of a place that lives up to this promise more than this 10x10 chicken shop. Like a number of the restaurants I review, I know what to order, and I get it over and over again. If a place is called Redi Chick and has a 10 spit rotisserie, you better be eating chicken. Yes, they have ribs, chicken nuggets and even fried clams. Stay away. I am not even saying they are bad but, if you are going to stop here, get the chicken…it’s why they are in business.
Now you can go about ordering your chicken in a number of different ways. However, you always need it in “basket” format, which means chicken over delicious fries (better than McDonalds) perfectly seasoned and piping hot. Now I give you a bit of freedom to select the exact type of rotisserie chicken you desire. Personally, I go for the wing basket. You get 6 well sized rotisserie wings, seasoned and moist. The most popular thing is the classic chicken basket, which is a half of a chicken, one of each piece, all served over those amazing fries.
A married couple owns this joint and even in there late days, still come to work and serve their customers who just keep coming back. On weekends, expect a 10-15 minute line. They are quick, but the number of hungry people is just so massive.
Oh, and don’t forget to ask for extra BBQ sauce. They are sometimes stingy.
Stay hungry my friends.
One thing has remained the same however: Redi Chick. I love keeping things simple and consistent and I really can’t think of a place that lives up to this promise more than this 10x10 chicken shop. Like a number of the restaurants I review, I know what to order, and I get it over and over again. If a place is called Redi Chick and has a 10 spit rotisserie, you better be eating chicken. Yes, they have ribs, chicken nuggets and even fried clams. Stay away. I am not even saying they are bad but, if you are going to stop here, get the chicken…it’s why they are in business.
Now you can go about ordering your chicken in a number of different ways. However, you always need it in “basket” format, which means chicken over delicious fries (better than McDonalds) perfectly seasoned and piping hot. Now I give you a bit of freedom to select the exact type of rotisserie chicken you desire. Personally, I go for the wing basket. You get 6 well sized rotisserie wings, seasoned and moist. The most popular thing is the classic chicken basket, which is a half of a chicken, one of each piece, all served over those amazing fries.
A married couple owns this joint and even in there late days, still come to work and serve their customers who just keep coming back. On weekends, expect a 10-15 minute line. They are quick, but the number of hungry people is just so massive.
Oh, and don’t forget to ask for extra BBQ sauce. They are sometimes stingy.
Stay hungry my friends.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Marty's (Los Angeles, CA)
Ok, this place is literally a stand that sits between a gas station and a fire station. It is called Marty's, and it is the "Home of the Combo." Now you might ask, what is the combo. Well basically, it is a half pound burger patty, with a quarter pound kosher hot dog, all piled with toppings on a hamburger bun. That is Marty's in a nutshell. They have the combo, or you can get just a burger or just a dog. It is as simple as that. People line up for this food. The shadiest places are always the best.
Also try the fries but order them extra crispy.
Stay hungry my friends.
Also try the fries but order them extra crispy.
Stay hungry my friends.
Feast From The East (Los Angeles, CA)
Yes, another entry from sunny Southern California.
Feast from the East has been one of my favorite places in LA from the time I think I started eating real food. It started as a 10x10 shack and has since expanded into a full restaurant that has table service etc. I was skeptical when this happened, as many places, when they expand, lose some quality. However, this place has not gone down hill at all. They have two signature items and signature they are! The first are their Sesame Chicken Wings. They have the perfect sweet batter, large wings and perfectly juicy. Also, if you like a lot of batter, they put a ton on and it is almost like a sweet treat while eating them.
The other signature dish, and I don't really know anyone who goes here and doesn't get this, but their classic Chinese Chicken Salad. It is so simple. Basically just lettuce, carrots, almonds, crispy wontons and then the kicker, their awesome dressing which is now bottled and sold in local LA food markets. The dressing is so light and simple, you would think, why is this so special....but there is just something so refreshing and delicious about it.
Other items to suggest are the meat egg rolls, the bbq pork and the combination fried rice. Although this is considered Chinese food, it is much more different than any place you have been. They have great take out which I usually go for. Stop by if you are in West LA on Westwood Blvd.
Stay hungry my friends.
Feast from the East has been one of my favorite places in LA from the time I think I started eating real food. It started as a 10x10 shack and has since expanded into a full restaurant that has table service etc. I was skeptical when this happened, as many places, when they expand, lose some quality. However, this place has not gone down hill at all. They have two signature items and signature they are! The first are their Sesame Chicken Wings. They have the perfect sweet batter, large wings and perfectly juicy. Also, if you like a lot of batter, they put a ton on and it is almost like a sweet treat while eating them.
The other signature dish, and I don't really know anyone who goes here and doesn't get this, but their classic Chinese Chicken Salad. It is so simple. Basically just lettuce, carrots, almonds, crispy wontons and then the kicker, their awesome dressing which is now bottled and sold in local LA food markets. The dressing is so light and simple, you would think, why is this so special....but there is just something so refreshing and delicious about it.
Other items to suggest are the meat egg rolls, the bbq pork and the combination fried rice. Although this is considered Chinese food, it is much more different than any place you have been. They have great take out which I usually go for. Stop by if you are in West LA on Westwood Blvd.
Stay hungry my friends.
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