DARREN THE CHEF

FROM ONE OF THOSE "HOLE IN T/WALL" BOOTHS AT T/FARMER'S MARKET IN ATWATER VILLAGE. PEACH/PINEAPPLE HABANERO EMPANADAS & SAVORY TOMATO PIE (EXCELLENT!). HIS STRAWBERRY PIE IS EXCELLENT TOO BTW.

WHOLE FOODS GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH

THESE CUSTOMIZED GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICHES WERE ACTUALLY NO BAD AT ALL. PROVOLONE, SHREDDED CHEDDAR, PICKLED HERB RED PEPPERS, PESTO AIOLI & JALAPENO PEPPERS ON PANINI BREAD.

MINI CUPCAKES

FOUND THESE AT TARGET. THEY HAVE NO EXPIRATION DATE. WONDERING IF THEY LAST AS LONG AS T/MICKEY D'S CHEESEBURGER.

SIMPLE THINGS RESTAURANT

LA TRAFFIC IS BS! TRAFFIC IS SO BAD NOW THAT WEEKEND TRAFFIC IS NO DIFFERENT FROM WEEKDAY. ADD TO THAT, PARKING THAT SUCKS. IN MANY PARTS OF LA, IT'S WORK JUST TO GET TO T/EATERY. THEY DON'T MAKE IT EASY TO PATRONIZE A SHOP OR RESTAURANT. OK, ON TO T/FOOD. ABOVE IS T/AVOCADO MELT - avocado, roasted peppers, fontina, buttermilk bleu, manchego, apricot chutney, brioche & CRISPY BACON. BTW, GREAT PORTION SIZE THAT DOESN'T CONTRIBUTE TO T/WEIGHT OF T/NATION.

HALF REUBEN - corned beef (FANTASTIC), sauerkraut, swiss, dijon, mayo, rye & CORN CHOWDER W/BACON.

BANOFFEE PIE - BANANA TOFFEE ON GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST.

MINI CHERRY CRUMBLE.

UNCLE BILL'S PANCAKE HOUSE

MANHATTAN BEACH. FAMOUS FOR THEIR CHEDDAR CHEESE & BACON WAFFLES, ABOVE. ALSO ABOVE, MANGO LEMONADE.

BREAKFAST STROGANOFF OR AS A DINING MATE CALLS IT, "HEART ATTACK ON A PLATE". HASH BROWNS SAUTEED W/CRUMBLED BACON & MELTED AMERICAN CHEESE, TOPPED W/SOUR CREAM.

ITALIANO OMELET - MEAT SAUCE & JACK CHEESE TOPPED W/MEAT SUACE & PARMESAN CHEESE.

HAWAIIAN PANCAKE SPECIAL - PINEAPPLE PANCAKE W/SHREDDED COCONUT.

MARCIE'S PIES

AVAILABLE AT LA AREA FARMER'S MARKET (THIS ONE WAS ACQUIRED FROM THE HOLLYWOOD ONE). THESE ARE OK. IT'S HARD NOT TO LIKE FRUIT PIES THAT ARE MADE WITH FRESH FRUITS. THE CRUST WASN'T ANYTHING SPECIAL, BUT THE CHERRY FILLINGS WERE GOOD. THE BENCHMARK OF INCREDIBLY YUMMY FRUIT PIES ARE MOM'S PIES & JULIAN PIE COMPANY, BOTH IN JULIAN CALIFORNIA. A LOT OF T/PIES MADE IN T/CITY ARE JUST TOO EXPENSIVE FOR WHAT THEY ARE. THEY ARE ONLY HALF AS GOOD AT BEST COMPARED TO JULIAN PIES.

GASTRONOMICO

FARMER'S MARKET FRITATTA & SOME KIND OF PORK SANDWICH W/FRIED EGG, KALE & AIOLI ON CIABATTA BREAD.

DEEP FRIED CAULIFLOWER W/TOMATO SAUCE.

CRISPY YUKON GOLDS W/GARLIC AIOLI & THYME.

RICOTTA DONUT HOLES W/COFFEE SYRUP.

SOME KIND OF BREAD PUDDING. DOESN'T HELP THAT THEIR MENU CHANGES.

WOOD & VINE

ONE OF THEIR SIGNATURE DISHES - FRIED CHICKEN (BONELESS) & WAFFLES WITH MAPLE GLAZE, SAGE BUTTER & SOME CANDIED FRUIT. THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN A GREAT DISH EXCEPT FOR T/FACT THAT THEY DRENCHED IN TOO MUCH MAPLE GLAZE, RENDERING THIS DISH MUCH TOO SWEET. THE CHICKEN WAS JUST RIGHT & THUS, DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH TO COUNTERBALANCE ALL THAT GLAZE. MAPLE GLAZE SHOULD HAVE BEEN SERVED ON T/SIDE. STILL BETTER THAN ROSCOE'S DOWN T/STREET.

SOME KIND OF BACON DONUT. AGAIN, AFTER  EATING T/OVERLY SWEET CHICKEN & WAFFLES, WE GET A SWEET DONUT, W/POWDERED SUGAR & AS IF THAT WASN'T ENOUGH, DRIZZLE IN SOME SWEET SAUCE. THIS ESTABLISHMENT FITS THE OVERLY SWEET AMERICAN PALATE. AND WE WONDER ABOUT THE WEIGHT OF THIS NATION.

SWEET ARLEEN'S

SWEET ARLEEN'S - 2 TIME WINNER OF FOOD NETWORK'S CUPCAKE WARS. THEIR CUPCAKES WERE OK. IN FACT, I HAVEN'T REALLY HAD A GREAT CUPCAKE FROM ANY BAKERY THAT CAN BEAT A RUN OF THE MILL, SIMPLE HOMEMADE CUPCAKE AT A TYPICAL CHILDREN'S B-DAY PARTY. SPRINKLES = OVERHYPED! OK, ON TO SWEET ARLEEN'S....THEY ARE PRETTY SERIOUS ABOUT BREAD PUDDINGS. ABOVE IS THE PEPPERONI PIZZA BREAD PUDDING. NOT BAD, BUT IT WAS SALTY & VERY SPICY. NOT SPICY AS IN HOT BUT AS IN A LOT OF SPICES (PEPPER & WHATEVER ELSE) THAT THE SPICES BECAME OVERBEARING & DOMINATED THE FLAVOR. NOW BELOW, THE MAPLE BACON W/SALTED MAPLE GLAZE WAS PHENOMENAL & COMES CLOSE TO CHALLENGING T/BENCHMARK THAT IS T/ WHITE CHOCOLATE BREAD PUDDING FROM NORDSTROMS CAFE AT THE WESTFIELD TOPANGA MALL. ABOUT THE MAPLE BACON BP - This dense and chewy bread pudding is a hearty sweet/savory snack you will love. Candied bacon is baked right on top and it is served best with the salted maple glaze.

THE ETERNAL MCDONALD'S CHEESEBURGER

MORGAN SPURLOCK'S BOOK "DON'T EAT THIS BOOK" TALKS ABOUT A GUY WHO COLLECTS FASTFOOD BURGERS ON HIS MANTLE. SUPPOSEDLY THEY CONTAIN SO MUCH PRESERVATIVES THAT THEY DON'T GO BAD. THIS IS MY MICKEY D'S CHEESEBURGER FROM NOV. 15 2005. THE ONLY THING THAT SEEMS TO HAVE EVAPORATED WAS WHATEVER SAUCE THEY PLACED IN IT ORIGINALLY.

I DON'T KNOW WHY BLOGGER UPLOADS T/IMAGE AT THE WRONG ANGLE SOMETIMES (LIKE T/ABOVE).

THE WAFFLE

TRIPLE MINI WAFFLE - (L-R) BACON & EGG, GOAT CHEESE, SALMON & CREME FRAICHE.

BAKED-IN APPLEWOOD SMOKED  BACON WAFFLE.

BLUEBERRY LEMON WAFFLE.

3 EGG BREAKFAST.

CLEMENTINE BAKERY

BLUEBERRY SOUR CREAM COFFEE CAKE MUFFIN. ONE OF THE BEST BLUEBERRY MUFFINS I'VE HAD. THE SWEETNESS OF THE CAKE IS OFFSET BY THE TARTNESS OF THE BLUEBERRIES.

THIS ONE IS OK. A BUN WITH PEACH OR APRICOT FILLING.

NOT SURE WHAT YOU CALL THIS BUT IT'S FANTASTIC. TART MIXED FRUITS & BERRIES TOPPED WITH A GRANOLA CRUST.

SOME CREPE & ARGENTINIAN TRUCK

SAVORY CHICKEN CREPE FROM ONE OF THOSE CREPE TRUCKS. NO BUENO THAT I DIDN'T EVEN BOTHER REMEMBERING THE NAME OF THE TRUCK. 

DITTO FOR THIS TRIPLE EMPANADA W/CHIMICHURRI. TRUCK WASN'T WORTH REMEMBERING FOR ME.

PATTY WAGON GRASS FED HAMBURGERS TRUCK

SORRY THIS ISN'T MUCH OF A PIC, I FORGOT TO TAKE THEM BEFORE DIGGING IN. THIS WAS THE "Keep Your Sunny Side Up" - On our toasted ciabatta, spread with our homemade gremolata (garlic, lemon, parsley butter). I ALSO HAD THE ‘La Vie En Rose’ - Mini hamburger with melted gruyere and onions caramelized with vermouth and thyme on toasted ciabatta. THEY WEREN'T BAD. I WOULD EAT FROM HERE AGAIN.