Amen to that!

I just realized that I haven't blogged in forever! So, even though I haven't had any exceptionally special food, that I felt like sharing, I am going to share parts from an article in my recent Bon Appetite magazine.
Somebody wrote in to one of the Restaurant Editors, Andrew Knowlton, and they asked him if he had any pet peeves when dining at restaurants. His list of annoying items follows. And, to be honest, I have to agree with him on these, especially the "removing of plates"... it always bugged me and I wondered if anyone else ever felt the same. Now I know at least someone else does! :) Enjoy!!
Oh - and I should mention - these are his words, not mine. So, please don't sue me, man.
1. No one greets you as you arrive or say thanks as you leave. Both are equally important (just because a restaurant has taken your money doesn't mean its responsibilities are over).
2. Waiters who say one of three things: "Hello, my name is X, and I'll be your waiter tonight", "Have you dined with us before"?, and "Everything on the menu is great".
3. Removal of one single piece of cutlery or plate before everyone at the table has finished eating. It's disruptive and rude.
4. Offering up freshly ground pepper, grated cheese, or anything else before I've even had time to taste it. How am I supposed to know if it needs pepper? Isn't that what chefs and kitchens are for?
5. Dirty tables going uncleaned. (And on a cleaning side note: Restaurants should never, ever start mopping or dragging trash through the dining room until every customer is gone. Period.)

Para o amor de minha familia...

This evening I made one of my most favorite dishes in the world: feijoada. This dish is a stew of beans with pork (and sometimes beef). It is considered the "national" dish of Brasil, but was brought to South America by the Portuguese. It was considered a "luxury" dish of the African slaves on Brazilian colonial farms, seeing as it was prepared with relatively cheap ingredients (beans, rice, collard greens, farofa) and leftovers from salted pork and meat production. Over time, it became a favorite dish of everyone in the country and now it's found nearly everywhere over there. In Brasil, it is made with black beans, but in Portugal, it is made with either white beans or kidney beans, depending on the part of Portugal you are in.
This is one of those meals that is truly a labor of love. It takes all day to make correctly, but once it's finished, it is just divine. This dish reminds me of being about eight years old, and watching my paternal great-grandmother cook it in my grandmother's kitchen. She spent all day stirring, watching, tasting, adding the correct amount of seasoning. Every time I smell or taste the dish, it takes me right back to that kitchen, where you just knew she was putting all of her heart into making it for her family. It just doesn't get much better than that.
It is typically served with white rice, and maybe some greens, fried bananas, sliced oranges, and another coarse roasted cassava flour called farofa. Tonight I just made it with rice and a side of spicy carrots, mostly because I was too tired to fry bananas. But I did add some bread to the mix, which, let's face it - it just isn't Portuguese unless you're eating it with a piece of bread in your left hand.
And, in case you were wondering: yes - it was well worth the wait of the slow, all day cooking. I'm pretty sure my grandmother would be proud.

Brisket and Fried Pickles

Mmmm... BBQ... so good!! It isn't too hard to find many BBQ places, but it does seem to be a little more difficult to find really great BBQ. One of our favorite places is The Beach Pit BBQ in Tustin, California. There are three other locations, as well: Costa Mesa, CA., Orange, CA., and they have a little place at the Angels' Stadium (located in Anaheim, CA.)
The restaurant was founded by baseball player Tim DeCinces back in 2005 and includes a large Southern BBQ menu, with some lighter salads and wraps, if you prefer. They have their own BBQ sauce, which you can get in mild or spicy - both are pretty damn good.
We went last night with a big group of friends and the food just kept coming to the table! We had everything from wedge salads to fried pickles and everything in between. Last night, they had a special, which was a grilled cheese sandwich with pulled pork added to the sandwich. My husband had to try one! We actually ended up getting another one by accident, but the server was cool and just let us keep it. So, we split up the two sandwiches and everyone had a try. It was really, really good. See, I'm not much of a grilled cheese fan, so I thought it was alright, but my husband loved it, and everyone else seemed to think it was pretty awesome, as well. Check this bad dog out! Oh, and let me apologize now for the not-so-great quality of the pictures. I took them with my phone, so they aren't perfect, but you get the idea, at least. :)

Here is Jessica's wedge salad - it looked gooooood!!

One of Andy's favorite things to get - the sliders!

And, here was my delightful meal - my beef brisket sandwich with sweet potato fries and fried pickles. Yummy!!

So go check out The Beach Pit - you won't be disappointed. Oh - and be sure to get some dessert: Banana Pudding otherwise known as "Crack in a Cup". Enjoy!!

Holes in the wall and car washes

Huh??!! Where did you eat recently?? That's right - I'm back in Bakersfield for a couple of days, and you know what that means! No, I haven't seen any cows, but they have made a couple of appearances on my dinner table in the tastiest of forms!
Last night, my Dad and I went to "Hole In The Wall". Yep, we named this place, years and years ago, and it has stuck. The real name of this restaurant is Ching Yen and honestly, we didn't know it's real name for years. We just went there. And, one day, when we wanted to order some food to go, no one in the house knew the real name of the place, to find the phone number, in the phone book!
Ching Yen has existed in Bakersfield for over 20 years, and locally owned. They do not have servers or hosts - the family runs everything. Their kids (who I happened to go to high school with) serve the customers, and the mom is the hostess/server. The dad is in the back cooking with a couple of other guys, in their tiny little kitchen in the back. Ooh! Last night the dad came out from the kitchen (you NEVER see the dad) and went to each table, asking how the food was. Our answer: the food was GREAT (as always)! I thought about asking him to take a picture with me, but I would like to be able to come back, without a restraining order placed on me.


Of course, Dad and I ordered WAY too much food, which usually happens when we go there, because it is ALL good! So, Mary, do they put MSG in their food? HELL YES they do!! And that's what makes it amazing!! You certainly won't find any signs saying "No MSG" anywhere near this place. They probably put it in the water, for that matter! Our appetizers for the evening: potstickers and spring rolls. Then came the massive amount of deliciousness: garlic shrimp (which I practically ate the whole plate), vegetable beef, veggie chow mein, and veggie egg foo young. So, here's where I talk about how they make the BEST egg foo young EVER! I normally don't even like this dish. But, of course, due to the excessive amounts of crack and MSG they put into their food, along with the amazing brown sauce they drown it in, I will eat the whole damn plate, if given the opportunity. It is typically the first dish that gets annihilated at the table. Just amazing. Period.
Sorry for the slightly fuzzy picture of the appetizers. I was just so excited about digging into it, that I couldn't even take a decent pic. Oh well. Just know that it was delish.

Here is our lovely dinner. Oh - I should mention that we didn't have much of a doggy bag to take home afterwards.

Here is the perfect egg foo young dish. Look how shiny from all that MSG...


So, that was my foodie adventure last night. It was a good one, too. I was oh so happy when my dad agreed to today's lunch at the local car wash. Yep - you read that one right! The 34th Street Car Wash right here in good ol' Bakersfield. I know that there is a great debate about the best hamburger around and I have heard many thoughts and even tried many, if not all of them, that I have heard. Guess what? The BEST hamburger around is right in that town, right in the middle of that car wash. Once you have had one, you will be the winner of the great debate. Just ask my husband. He thought he had the greatest one ever at Firestone's, in San Luis Obispo (see earlier post). Yeah, okay, it's good, but not a car wash burger! And there is a place in Los Osos, Ca. that also makes a damn good one, but again, not this car wash burger! And, apparently, there is a place in Long Beach, Ca. that is supposed to be killer good, but I'm gonna still put my money on the car wash burger.
Well, okay, Miss Smarty Pants. What makes it so great then?? To start with, it is real sirloin hamburger (about a 1/2 a pound), that hasn't been frozen, that gets hand-formed after you place your order. Then it sits on a open grill, that has been slathered with the grease from the gods. We always get the Ortega Burger, so that means an ortega chili, whole green leaf lettuce, onions, tomato, 1000 island dressing, and here is the kicker: butter pickles. If you don't like butter pickles, then you can get over yourself, because it makes this burger. And, for just about $7, you get the giant burger, fries or onion rings, and a drink. Oh - and let's not forget the priceless surroundings of a Bakersfield car wash, where people are getting their lunch, their car washed, their shoes shined, and their hair cut all in the same place. It just doesn't get much better than that.
Here is a shot of the counter where you order your food. Surprisingly, I was able to get the picture without a bizillion people in line.

Here is my view of the car wash from where I was eating today. See?? What did I tell you about the view?!

At last, but not least, the heavenly burgers! DO be jealous.

Sweet Cupcakes and Candy Dreams

One of the really nice things about San Luis Obispo, California, is the mix of small, locally owned stores, mixed with larger franchised businesses. (Although, the franchised businesses are pretty few). It's Friday, so I wanted to share the sweeter sides of SLO. Two places that are very different, but equally wonderful: The Granada Cafe and Powell's Sweet Shoppe.
The Granada Cafe is located downtown and has been open right around a year now and it is a tiny, tiny little room, with a couple of tables and an even smaller bar-like counter. You can see right into the little "kitchen", which I think they only make coffees back there and heat some items up, if need be. They have a little chalkboard outside the door, that has just a few items on it, and today it was a couple of soups and daily-made cupcakes. The cupcakes are made by a girl named Amy, and she makes them at home and then brings them into the store to sell. Today she had lavender cream cupcakes and chocolate merlot cupcakes. They were pretty good! Mom really liked the lavender one and the chocolate one was my favorite.

Powell's Sweet Shoppe is located in a newer, built-up part of downtown San Luis Obispo. A few years ago, an old parking lot was renovated into a bunch of little shops and restaurants, and this place was added to the mix. This candy store is awesome! It's almost overwhelming because there is SO much to look at and take in, with all of the yummy smells and bright colors, but if you take your time and stroll around slowly, it's a lot of fun.

In the middle of the store, there are a few different bars with a bunch of goodies in them. All of the separate chocolates, truffles, and specialty candies are at a couple of the bars, and then there is the ice cream/gelato bar. Delightful!!



They have a whole wall of nothing but bulk candy, that you can mix and match and go crazy with!

There is also the most ginormous collection of PEZ dispensers I have ever seen!

And one of the coolest parts of this store: you can sit and watch Charlie and the Chocolate Factory all day long, while enjoying your favorite movie candy!

Del Monte Cafe

Well, hello there! Haven't been here in a few days, but that doesn't mean that I haven't been eating well! :)
I'm still visiting here in San Luis Obispo, California, and just yesterday, Mom and I went to a very local favorite: Del Monte Cafe.
The Del Monte was built in 1922 as a barber shop and store for J.R. Robbins. The false front, single-story, wood framed building was designed and built by contractor Neil Hampton for a cost of $600. The small, neighborhood store existed as the Del Monte Grocery up until 1981, when it was remodeled into a restaurant.
I just love how this place still looks like it did way back in the day. It has all of these old photos, of the joint, hanging on all the walls, and it only has about 10 tiny, little booths inside. There are a few tables outside, that are always packed on a beautiful coastal day. The kitchen is the size of a postage stamp and you can sit at one of the 5 seats at the bar to watch your meal being cooked. The waitresses remember your name and if you go often enough, remember your order. Their breakfast is the best in town and I was super sad that I was 20 minutes late for the breakfast menu. BUT, they have a really good lunch, and the dinners are all comfort food, deliciousness. Mom and I both had crab sandwiches (real crab) with homemade french fries. Sorry I have no pictures to share with you this time. We took those sandwiches down! :)
Here are a couple of pictures of the restaurant for you to enjoy - one from today and one from many, many years ago, back when it was a grocery store.

Temple of Tastiness

This morning my mommy asked me where I would like to have lunch later on in the day. She was taking me to Morro Bay and I could go wherever I wanted. There are all kinds of great places to eat in Morro Bay, California and this decision was going to be a difficult one, for sure! As I took a few moments to think about where I would like to go, one place in particular came to mind. A place that I hadn't been to in about three years or so. Two words, my friends: Taco Temple.

I don't know exactly how long the Temple has been around, but that doesn't really matter. What does matter, is that we managed to discover this place just in time, before we graduated and moved away to Southern California. (After our first visit, we gave the place a new name: Taco Tasty). The food is a kind of Mexican/Californian fusion and on any given day of the week, the devout will stand for hours, waiting to be seated for dinner. Since it is located on coastal California, seafood anchors many of the dishes, but you can get your good ol' cow there, too. Oh, and don't even get me going on their desserts... we'll get to that in a second.
I was so happy to pull up to the place and see that it hadn't changed one bit. I was then hoping it would still taste the same, too. Opening the menu, I was happily satisfied, seeing that it, also, had not changed in years. In fact, once I sat there for a few minutes, I noticed that one of the servers, that used to serve us all the time, was still working there. Now, that was a good sign!
The hard part is always trying to decide what to order there, because it is all good. Everything I've ever eaten there has been delightful. I decided to get the calamari, which is served with shoestring potatoes, salad, and some mango salsa. It was just as I remembered it and absolutely fabulous. Mom got the veggie taco, which I have never ordered, but Mom liked it! Then, we ordered a slice of their "killer" carrot cake. This is actually how it is written on their "specials" board, and they ain't kidding! They have a few different dessert specials everyday, and the two that are usually always on there, are the carrot cake and their warm chocolate bread pudding. Side note: that bread pudding is made by the chocolate gods, and my husband swears by it. Me, lamely being allergic to chocolate, has to go for the non-migraine-giving specialties.
Ummm... BEST carrot cake EVER. I don't care if you think your great, great grandma makes the best carrot cake around, because let me tell you, she doesn't. Not even MY ancestors made a cake this good, and believe me, all Portugies can BAKE. Back to this carrot cake. It's DIVINE. Rich, dense, just sugary enough, with homemade cream cheese frosting.... heavenly, delicious, carrot-ty goodness.
So, the next time you're in Morro Bay, hit this place up. You may wait for an hour or two, but it is certainly worth the wait.