BLOGHUNGRY

South Philly Experience

In a city built on organic greens and avocado, sometimes a person needs a steak sandwich smothered with Cheese Whiz. I just got home from a trip to the South Philly Experience truck and am still basking in its afterglow. The truck was created by a group of Philadelphians with a dream of bringing authentic cheesesteaks to people of LA. To realize their dream they even have their rolls shipped in from Amoroso’s Baking Co. in Philadelphia.

I ordered the Italian (steak w/ provolone, grilled onions, broccoli rabe and cherry peppers on a roll) and their Bacon Cheese Special (steak w/ Cheese Whiz, thick strips of bacon, and grilled onions). Both sandwiches were huge and filled with the kind of juicy chopped bits of beef that give your life meaning. If pressed, I'd say that the Italian was my favorite, because of it's richer and spicier mix of ingredients. However, the savory mix of Cheese Whiz and thick cut bacon aren't to be passed up either.

I've done a few of LA's foodie trucks in the past, but kimchi quesadillas and seaweed-wrapped burgers have nothing on an authentic cheesesteak. Don't take my word for it. Put down your tofu wrap and find them on Twitter now.

Marked 5

The street food lunch truck trend is bigger than all of us. People love chasing trucks for $5 hipster-fusion eats. I am far too lame to follow tweets to the latest trucks for a quick bite. However, Popmuse isn't and decided to take Lily and me along for the ride last week.

The Marked 5 truck serves Japanese inspired "burgers" served between two patties of sticky rice. We had the Spam and egg special and the beef and egg special. The beef was a little bland, but the salty Spam mixed with the creamy egg yolk was truly inspired. If you are looking to track your lunch or dinner down with Twitter, check them out. It was better than Kogi.

Umami Burger

Divinity is a concept that is thrown around a lot in the religious community. It's rare that we ever experience anything truly divine. Man isn't even sure if there is a god, but we do know that there is an Umami burger. With no exaggeration, I just had the greatest burger I have ever eaten. It was so juicy and filled with flavor that I'm still basking in its afterglow 2 hours later.

The Atmosphere: The restaurant is small and the tables are a little too close together. The decor is modern but casual.

The Food: I ordered the "Manly Burger": a fresh ground patty with thick chunks of bacon, beer cheddar, smoke salted onion strings, and a hint of wasabi. I also tasted the "Umami Burger": a fresh ground patty with roasted tomatoes, grilled shiitake mushrooms, grilled onions, and a parmesan crisp. The fries and onion rings were thick and good, but it's really all about the burger. For dessert they offer ice cream sandwiches from Milk and homemade snack cakes from Cake Monkey.

Bloghungry Rating: A+

Umami Burger
850 S La Brea Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90036-4810
(323) 931-3000

Kogi Taco Truck

Taco Trucks have become an emerging trend for hipsters and foodies alike these days. The food is cheap and finding the best truck can be a rewarding challenge. In L.A. the Kogi taco truck has taken the food fad to the next level. Kogi offers a fusion of the Mexican taco truck tradition with Korean bbq. The truck's specialties include: short rib, spicy pork, chicken, and tofu tacos and burritos. Each item is served with sesame-chili salsa roja, lettuce and cabbage tossed in Korean chili-soy vinaigrette, cilantro-green onion-lime relish, and garnished with lime wedge, orange wedge or red radish wedge. They also offer daily specials and an assorment of canned beverages. To find the truck you will need to check the lower right collumn of their web site  for a schedule or track them on twitter.

I thought the food was good, but it didn't live up to the hype. I liked the chicken taco the best, followed by the short rib taco, spicy pork taco, chorizo hot dog and the kimche quesadilla. Let's face it the kimche quesadilla was pretty gross. If you go be prepared to wait in line for a while and eat in a parking lot with juices dripping down your arm.

Boycott El Coyote

News is spreading of a boycott of El Coyote after discovering that their manager, Marjorie Chrisofferson donated to the Yes on 8 campaign. The donation was discovered after reading through the L.A. Times' Prop 8. contributions database. Please help to support equal rights for all by not supporting businesses that support hate and inequality. For more information on El Coyote, read here.

There will be a protest to support the ban on Prop 8 supporters:

Thursday, November 13th @ 7:00pm
El Coyote Cafe
7312 Beverly Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90036

Bring signs & friends!

SuperMac

I have long been at odds with restaurants who promise a good Mac and Cheese only to serve up something yellow and eggy with overcooked pasta and no flavor. That said I love the idea of a restaurant dedicated solely to making macaroni and cheese. I just wish they could some with a stronger and more complex flavors.

Food: Mediocre Mac and Cheese in 12 varieties. First I tried the four Cheese with whole wheat pasta and bread crumbs with was severely average. Then I had the Cheeseburger Mac which as a slightly more homemade version Hamburger Helper. Both types surprisingly tasted better after sitting in my fridge overnight.

Atmosphere: Pinkberry meets the Pasta Roni aisle

Bloghungry Rating: B-

SuperMac
348 Seventh Ave.,
New York, NY 10001 
(212) 760-1900

Grimaldi's

New York is not known for their customer service, and for good reason. I grew up in the south where people talk slow and bend over backwards to make sure you are well fed. In New York you are herded, yelled at, and made to fight to order your food. Despite my misgivings, Grimaldi's pizza was worth a little effort.

Food: Italy meets California in Brooklyn. Grimaldi's serves fresh dials of mozzarella, basil, and tomato sauce on thin but soft crust with crispy edges. It’s tasty and surprisingly light for New York pizza.

Atmosphere: There are no reservations or Fast Passes for this over-hyped pizza joint. To eat inside is to wait in an endless line to get yelled at by an old Italian man and pushed into whatever corner they can cram you into. Your best bet is to call in an order and take it back to your place or at the nearby pier.

Bloghungry Rating: B+

Grimaldi's
19 Old Fulton St
Brooklyn, NY
(718) 858.4300

Serendipity

Serendipity is so deeply rooted is a corny pop culture cliche that I had to go. The number of times they've been on the Food Network for that $1,000 Ice Cream Sundae or Frozen Hot Chocolate is enough to make a grown man cry... or change the channel. However, it's a great place for John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale to fall in love or for rich little girls to eat ice cream with their grandfathers in movies.

Food: I was warned by a few people that the actual food was terrible and to only order dessert. So, I ordered a Frozen Hot Chocolate and a Hot Fudge Sundae. The Frozen Hot Chocolate tasted like a powdered hot chocolate in milkshake form and was both brilliant and trashy. The hot fudge sundae was huge and tasty, but the fudge was room temp. and clearly from a can (Shame on you Serendipity).

Atmosphere: The kitsch that time forgot circa 1994 (two words: dust & update)

Bloghungry Rating: B-

Serendipity
225 East 60th Street
between 2nd and 3rd Avenues
New York, NY 10022

Sun-Thur 11:30am to midnight

Friday 11:30am to 1:00am
Saturday 11:30am to 2:00am

Rice to Riches

 

Forget everything you thought you knew about rice pudding. I have never really been a fan of it in the past, but this is no ordinary rice pudding. Rice to Riches' rice pudding is officially my favorite dessert in New York and will no doubt take over the rest of the country and the world soon.

The Food: Over 20 different flavors of Rice Pudding based in a cool, rich, and flavorful custardy texture. I tried the Caramel, Cheesecake, and Rum Raisin flavors and would happily to est a tub of any of them. You can mix flavors or add toppings too, but why mess with perfection.

The Atmosphere: Pink Berry meets Instructo Art

Bloghungry Rating: A+

Rice to Riches
37 Spring St., New York, NY 10012
(
212) 274-0008

Billy's Bakery

The rumors about Billy's bakery spawning from the disgruntled creator of Magnolia Bakery who has since had a sex change is a little more tantalizing than their baked goods, but Billy's Ice box cake is still pretty great.

Food: Billy's bakery serves classic cakes, cupcakes, and pies with slightly modern presentations. I tried the Icebox cake and the Banana cake. The Icebox cake was soft and moist with layers of deliciously subtle chocolate cookie and vanilla creaminess. The banana cake was a little dry with more baking powder than banana flavor and a lackluster cream cheese frosting.

Atmosphere: A straight-friendly gaykery evoking the charming nostalgia of the year 2000

Bloghungry Rating: B-

Billy's Bakery
184 9th Avenue
NYC, 10011
(212) 647-9956