thebuntruck.com ~ Slauson Ave. ~ Los Angeles

Hot Chick
When I went to Vicious Dogs this week, I asked the owner Willie what I should try. He said they they had a brand new dog they just put on the menu that day. Meet the Hot Chick. It’s a bacon-wrapped dog topped with cheese, chopped chicken fritters, spicy BBQ sauce, and what I’m pretty sure is ranch dressing. The first few bites were sublime. A nice mix of crunch and explosive flavor. By the end, I was a bit overwhelmed by the sweet dressing. So, while it’s (another) really good hot dog from Vicious, it might need some refinement. About $6. Check out some of the other excellent dogs…

Vicious Dogs ~ 5231 Lankershim Blvd ~ North Hollywood

Chicago Dog
Now this is a hot dog. Simply outstanding. Exactly what I’d expect if I went to the Windy City and ordered one there, complete with neon green relish and Vienna dog. With this, along with the Sweet and Spicy Kielbasa I had a couple weeks ago, Vicious Dogs has quickly risen to the top of my list when it comes to hot dogs. About $4.

Mediterranean Dog & Rings
Okay, first the beer-battered onion rings. Awesome. Awesome awesome awesome. Enough said, they were awesome. As for the Mediterranean Dog itself, this is probably my favorite Vicious dog yet. It’s a regular hot dog topped with hummus (yes, hummus) and a cucumber, tomato, and onion salad. Oh so very delicious. Very refreshing, for a hot dog. Yummy. About $3 for the dog, $2.50 for the 1/2 order of rings.

L.A. Street Dog
It looks like it’s smiling at you, because it is. Another winning wiener from Vicious Dogs. A bit too neat compared to what I expect in a street dog, but really really good. The bacon is fantastic and there’s just enough BBQ sauce. Grilled onions and bell peppers, along with some mustard to finish it off. About $4.

Sweet and Spicy Kielbasa

I Love New York Dog
Grilled onions and tomatoes, Russian dressing and a poppy seed bun.

All Text and Images by ~DB~

The Top 10 best places to get drunk in the SGV, where “Sideways” could never have been shot… by Tony Chen of SinoSoul.com

1) Liang’s Taiwanese Kitchen
227 W Valley Blvd # 128C, San Gabriel

Featured attraction: BOGO $10 Bud/$12 Kirin pitchers all day. Despite the slow slide towards mediocrity caused by rapid expansion, Liang’s red yeast fried pork chop is still one of LA’s most affordable pork plates at $6. To sober up, try the pork-stuffed soy Jalapeno. Unlike a chili relleno, Liang’s uses a Jalapeño pepper to hold soy sauce braised ground pork and it’s better than any chili relleno to come out of the westside (or a Mexican kitchen). The drinking crowd is an odd mix of expats and FOBs, mostly middle age and menopausal obasan and omasans. They’re 1 pitcher away from cirrhosis, so a drunken hot-mess on an SGV bender won’t bother them a bit.

2) Al’s Bar
413 W Las Tunas Dr, San Gabriel

Opens at 7am with darts, juke, poker machines AND lotto. If you’re so broke you can’t afford the drive to Las Vegas just to leave it, come to San Gabriel instead and try your luck. Then again, “Leaving San Gabriel” just doesn’t seem as powerful. If you’re the sort of guy who likes to chase the morning trip to the dry cleaner with a shot of Jack, Al’s is the place for you. It’s so good that a patron will still come back to Al’s to keep the party going even after getting popped for DUI just after leaving the first time. (Linda L., you’re the true American drunken hero.) Image Credit: Googiesque

3) Jurassic Restaurant
15301 Gale Ave, City of Industry

This is one of the 2 themed Taiwanese drinking houses in the SGV. The beer list/pricing is rather lousy; the grub’s only decent if you’re into eating spicy and funky Chinese food. That said, any joint with the proverbial 2-story plastic dinosaur in the middle of the dining room and bilingual hand scripted signs asking you to “please throw up in sink [sic]” is winner’s podium material. Added bonus: it’s right next to oft raided, now deceased Hawaiian Show Girls and only four minutes away from the closest all-nude strip club. Photo credit: seanli626

4) First Cabin Bar
46 E Huntington Dr, Arcadia

The house band is “Pat O’Brien and his Priests of Love“… yeah. FCB opens conveniently at 6am, in case the Lauren Bacall you’re trying to bag is an alcoholic. This is Al’s crosstown rival in a nicer area, sporting the accompanying slightly higher prices but an equal amount of dive. The crowd is diverse, yet inevitably you’ll chat up someone who loves the ponies or Man U.

5) The Stuffed Sandwich
1145 East Las Tunas Drive, San Gabriel

The OG “craft beer” bar (and pub) — Owner Sam has been enduring ill health for the last few months, but the love for this bar (and its proprietor) is clear: For years, people whispered about the secret beer stash here and The Stuffed Sandwich absolutely blew up in 2011. With features in Brand X, LAist, and other online zines, this SGV gem needs its quirky operator to return to the helm ASAP. We know some people actually enjoy the food here at The Stuffed, but LA TACO hereby officially begs Chef Laurent Quenioux, an SGV lover, to “pop up” here on Las Tunas instead of downtown or West Hollywood. Photo Credit: Jen and Rick

6) Uncle Yu’s Indian Themed Restaurant
633 S San Gabriel Blvd Ste 105, San Gabriel

Stinky tofu 3 ways, spicy chitlin’/pork blood hot pot, log tables and petite A-cup hostesses rocking Uggs (the new faux mocs) with a feather in their hair? This is the most misanthropic gastropub in the SGV and it isn’t even close. Are we at a South Asian Indian joint, American Indian beer hall, or West Indies restaurant? None of the above, mate. Beer here is served in dainty 6 oz glasses, because, well, you know: the Chinese have 2000 years of beer pounding history. No matter how tossed you may be, please don’t admit you actually like Taiwan Beer.

7) Aztec Hotel / Brass Elephant
311 W Foothill Blvd, Monrovia

This is the only registered National Historic Landmark in the SGV where one can get drunk, but it all goes downhill from there. The hotel/bar complex is an absolute maze, and thus not conducive to exiting the premises if you had one (or four) too many. The band’s terrible, the bartenders can be a rather hateful bunch, and the mix of the underage vs. overripe is rather disconcerting. Come to learn how a once glorious Route 66 hotel circa 1924 can sink so low, and be sure to ask the friendlier barkeeps in the karaoke room about the haunted rooms. H/T to http://uncouthed.com.

8) Jay Dee
1843 W Main St, Alhambra

Alhambra’s very own Cheers for over 60 years — With a facebook page, a kitchen manager, and its very own email address, Jay Dee doesn’t feel divey, but you’ll still find the regulars and the alkies, plus some regular alkies. Jay Dee’s building, originally a liquor store and sandwich shop, was purchased by the Lima/Krall family in 1944. The original owners are no longer with us, though the descendants still own and operate the bar & kitchen. Stephanie, the aforementioned kitchen manager, wants us to know in addition to the “famous” burger, Jay Dee serves menudo and a killer bloody mary pairing every Sunday. And oh, her dad’s been drinking here since the 60s. What was a vodka + Redbull called in ’67?

9) Mission Wines
1114 Mission Street, South Pasadena

There are a dozen wine shops in Pasadena, but Pasasdena has the abomination that is Colorado Blvd and the intelligentsia associated with CalTech. And so South Pasadena, despite the tyrannical police state and the crazy anti-SR710 NIMBYs, is somehow the better burb for Bandol rosé sipping. Mission Wines (not to be confused with the BevMo-esque Mission Liqour & Wines) offers tastings on the daily, but Saturdays are the official tasting days — 5 pours for $15 until 6pm. Buy a bottle, the tasting is $10. Matt, an ex-chef, is your perfect guide to food pairing, so don’t be shy to ask what goes with that fruit bowl. Thanks to Mission for providing that touch of class (and joie de vivre) to the smoggy, sweaty, uncouth region that is San Gabriel Valley.

10) Venice Room
2428 S Garfield Ave, Monterey Park

The Lombardos are an institution in Monterey Park. Between the family members there is a law office, a bail bonds operations and this gem of a neighborhood bar. The Venice Room hasn’t redocarated since it opened in 1955, but a weighty tumbler of Maker’s is $6, so after 2 rounds you too will forgive the kitsch murals depicting the Venice grand canals. Sadly, the karaoke singers on Tues/Thurs AND Saturday requires a lot more to drown out. Walk into the “dining room” and you’ll immediately spy Venice’s ulterior motive: the scorching open grill watched over by a powerful vent hood. Koreans aren’t the first to pawn the cooking off on their diners as the VR has served DIY steaks for decades. On Mondays, the steak — we only mention the steak because the sides are laughable — is only $10. Caveat emptor: Venice Room is literally 400 feet away from the frequent DUI check point before the 60 freeway entrance. Image credit: Robtjack

Tony Chen can be found regularly at SinoSoul.com.

The second LA Street Food Fest was held on August 16th in Pasadena, and writer, artist, and blogger The Minty was there to document her gustatory adventures. While these are not all of the delicious tacos that were served that day, it’s a nice selection that will make your mouth water. Enjoy!

pork taco from Tacos Cuernavaca

assorted tacos from Manzanilla Restaurante

cochinita pibil from La Flor de Yucatan

beef cheek taco from Casa Plascencia

beef and pork tacos from Jaliscos Mobile Taco Grill

We’ve long been fans of SinoSoul.com, and are happy to bring you a new irregular “how to” column from its author, Tony Chen. First up is a how not to: 9 helpful hints on how not to be an asshole diner…

1. Do not crowd the salsa bar.
Let’s say you’re at La Isla Bonita, or Tamix. You’re rockin’ your skinniest J Brand, and you just got some new titanium skewers on your fixie. The night is already lovely because the trompo man is looking rather generous with the pina shavings. It’s time to stock up on the salsa verde (because sala roja just reminds you too much of the Democratic machine in Los Angeles). You head to the salsa bar, elbows out, just like the peewee league b-ball coach taught you.You’re an asshole. The taco truck commissary owns the salsa bar, no matter how snug your balls are feeling this evening.

2. Put the camera away, girl.
Any photographic equipment, larger than a mobile phone, is Kardashian’s Ass. Anyone who brings an 1DS MkIII with mounted 85mm f1.2 to Picca is an automatic a*hole– it matters not that you’re actually the new Andrew Scrivani. Three fashion/life style bloggers shadowing that one plate of charchuterie at Wood+Vine? Just stop, we beg of you. It’s a train wreck hence everyone must rubberneck, but immediately we all want to bleach our cornea.

3. While you put the camera away, might as well put your smartphone away.
Hey you two at Bastide? From Hong Kong? It’s lovely you heart your new iphone4s. I understand the white one wasn’t available in China even as you waited for that kickass 7-hour braised onion soup. A little bit of advice for you: try talking to each other. Keep this up and you’re going to raise a loveless, emotionless kid who looks forward to suicide.

4. the CAA bigwig.
Dear Mr. Veep, we understand you’re in the middle of increasing Ashley Tisdale’s skank-o-meter but seriously, can you please not shout on your cell while awaiting your check at Craft Bar? In fact, how about not running in and out of the restaurant while doing said shouting? Finally, please don’t toss your AMEX Black onto the bar/at the barkeep. It makes a nice *clink* against the bar, but no one appreciates it.

5. The double wide…
stroller mommy. I hate you. The server hates you. This is not about children at bars, or children at restaurants. This is about a lousy human being who is idiotic enough to bring a 5′ wide toddler tank into a public space. Just die.

6. The inconvenient vegan.
Sir hipdouche, the restaurant is called Animal. Animal.  So no, they won’t toss your kale in an untainted bowl. And if you’re going to the Crispy Pork Gang… Well, you shouldn’t. We’re genuinely happy for your veganism, even though your farts are extra special. Just cook your quinoa at home and blog all about it. Perhaps you’ll be able to monetize enough to buy Animal and promptly rename it Plant.

7. “Do you know who I am?”
Know anyone who write 400 words twice a week on WordPress and held a wedding with 3 table full of Yelpers? A restaurant hasn’t opened for dinner service but this dude(ette) marches in expecting a 4 top for his/her SLR toting friends. Upon a service denial, s/he, not quite the asshole just yet, saunters over to the bar, clamoring for a round of comped bubbly… Hey pal, if Sotto can kick SIV to the curb, you’re really nobody.

8. The proclamative eater**.
No, El Taurino isn’t the “b”est taco, just like Baby Blue’s isn’t the “b”est BBQ, and your mom doesn’t make the “b”est carnitas. Providence doesn’t have the “b”est seafood, The Hat doesn’t have the “b”est pastrami, and Ludobites isn’t the “b”est thing ever. Qualify yourself or shut up. There’s always something better. Always.

** read: “The Best Thing I ever Ate” is insufferable.

9. The chef’s sluts.
Bangers Sisters 2 is being written as we speak. It features 2 women: 1 young, 1 menopausal, who met on twitter (natch) over their obsession with a certain Top Chef with much ink and a flavor savor. It is their dream to have a foursome with the chef and his philandering sous while snorting nitro’d foie powder of his sculpted abs. They visit the restaurant weekly and sit at the bar just to eye tap the company men. On the internet, you’ll find pictures of them boob sandwiching said chef while striking Holly Madison poses in front of the hostess stand… it’s not just pathetic

* The author may have been guilty of all charges, save #9.

Today, I was in the mood for a burger and all the burger options in Duarte were basically all about fast food and that wasn’t going to do. In-n-Out was also a possibility since it was just a 10-15 minute drive, but my picky palate said no because it was craving a new burger experience.  In the back of  mind, I remembered hearing about a restaurant in Monrovia called The Market Grill that is supposed to be known for their burgers so off I went.

The Market Grill is actually not a stand-alone restaurant. You’ll find it inside the Monrovia Market, but as you pass the restaurant window, take note of the housemade burger buns that are on cooling trays. Once you walk inside, go down a few steps to your left to the restaurant itself where you’ll see a counter in front of you where you can place your order and tables to your right that will seat about 12 people total. Yes, it’s a small place, but there’s also additional counter seating by the window for a few more people.

Inside the restaurant, there’s are vintage food signs on the wall and also a shelf of really fun salt and pepper shakers like kissing pigs, frogs and more. Apparently, owner Alex Ramirez, would put these character salt and pepper shakers on the table and customers caught on and started donating some of their old ones to the restaurant.  Currently, the customer donated shakers are just for display, but as one of the table ones are broken, they’re replaced by a display one. I thought that was a cute side story.

So now it’s burger time and for lunch that day, I went with a 1/3 Bacon Burger with with whole leaf lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickles and a swipe of housemade Thousand Island. I had a choice of Provolone, cheddar or Swiss and decided to keep it classic with cheddar cheese.  For a side, I opted out of the French fry route and instead went for their Minted Lemon Potato Salad.  One thing that I liked about their side choices is that you could also choose Fresh fruit instead of the fries or potato salad for those of you trying to lessen your carb load. Another plus is that they actually ask you how you want your meat cooked and Medium was the answer from me.

Before I talk about the burger, I just want to mention a couple of other things.  First, they make a Minted Lemonade, which I absolutely loved.  Not that I don’t mind tart lemonade, but some places take it overboard.  With their Minted Lemonade, I still get the tart, but it’s softened and rounded with the mint flavors.  Mint-lemon must be their thing since they also have Minted Lemon Potato Salad, but it is awesome. I liked the fact that the lemon wasn’t overwhelming, that the salad had a smooth texture plus the addition of fresh mint added a nice hit of freshness to the salad.

As for the burger, it hit the spot and then some. The burger meat was cooked perfectly and perfectly pink and it was deliciously juicy. One thing to add is that they also grind their own meats.  Kudos to them! Generous with their bacon, you got two thick slices of smoky goodness and I think that more burgers should use red onions as opposed to white or yellow onion. It added a nice little hit of sweetness that I enjoyed,

The market freshness of all the vegetables really reinforced to me that the Market Grill cares about what they feed their customers.  Although the housemade burger bun was soft and even a bit fluffy, it held its own considering the amount of food between the two buns.  One little nitpit is that burger meat itself needed a bit more seasoning, a dash more salt and/or pepper, but still it was pretty darn good.

The Market Grill also has daily desserts, which are all baked by Tracy Ramirez’s Mother. Tracy is the wife of Alex’s Ramirez and the co-owner of The Market Grill. I certainly enjoyed my Butterscotch Cookies after my burger main event.  Apparently, on Wednesday, they have bacon cookies. Guess where I’m going to be next Wednesday?

Overall, I really, really enjoyed my meal at The Market Grill and I look forward to returning and trying more items from their menu, especially their New England Hot Dogs, which I read about on the foodies:  a southern california food blog. Be sure to click that link because it’s definitely unlike a classic American hot dog that you’re used to seeing.

The Market Grill
525 South Shamrock Avenue
Monrovia, California 91016
(626) 303-4314
Like The Market Grill on Facebook to Get Their Daily Specials!

If you’d like to read more about my tasty travels around town, click here or if you’d like to join my dining group, Pleasure Palate, click here!

Is it possible to eat FOUR original Kalbi Burgers in 10 minutes? Finding the answer to that question is what the Kalbi Burger Challenge is all about.

On the afternoon of July 24th, 2011 (Sunday), the inaugural Kalbi Burger Challenge will pit Koreatown’s top eaters in a contest to see who loves the hood’s favorite burger so much that they can eat four in one go.

Specifically, the WINNER will be the competitor who is first to finish four (4) of the signature burgers OR whoever eats the most of those burgers within the contest time period of 10 minutes.

The PRIZE is not only the prestige of being forever known as the winner of the inaugural Kalbi Burger Challenge. The winner is also guaranteed a complimentary all-you-can-eat meal at the next competitive eating challenge hosted by the Visit Koreatown organization.

HOW TO JOIN:

to know more click here KALBI BURGER CHALLENGE

Phil’s Diner Cheeseburger: An excellent burger and awesome onion rings, $8.50

Opened in the 1920′s, the original Phil’s Diner was set up in a small train car located on Chandler Blvd, a few blocks from where it is located now. During the early ’80′s I’d eat there regularly, usually having the Idiot’s Mish-Mosh (eggs and potatoes and a whole bunch of other stuff). The place was always packed, and its small size meant you got up close and personal with your hungry neighbors. At the time the place was decidedly not some trendy eatery, with great gobs of goo coating the single exhaust fan behind the flattop. But it was a local landmark. During that era, “Phil” was an Asian man whose attitude provided half the reason I’d want eat there.

The place was closed down in the 90′s and the train car languished in disrepair. Thankfully its been rescued and moved a couple of blocks to its current location on Lankershim in the NoHo Arts District. Opened in April, the new owners have cleaned it up, added a proper hood over the cooking area and a few tables outside. Voila, a trendy neighborhood eatery! The inside it still tiny, with so little room behind the counter that two people can only pass each other with great difficultly. Of course that makes it fun to watch.

The food itself was pretty excellent. The burger bun is as good as it looks, and the onion rings were fantastic. The service was a bit slow, especially since it wasn’t very busy, but was very friendly. Even though it’s been opened only a couple months, it’s clear the place now a part of the neighborhood, with customers being greeted by first name and stories of home life being exchanged while their order is being prepared. Really glad it’s back, even if it’s more a re-creation rather than the actual original.

Oh, and yes they still serve the Idiot’s Mish-Mosh.

Words and picture by DB.

Apaseo El Alto ~ Guanajuato ~ Mexico

Long before Los Angeles’ food truck fetish with Asian-fusion tacos, Pueblans had already traveled down that road.There are many incorrect stories about the Lebanese influence in the taco arabe, or arab tacos, but actually the original creators of these Pueblan curiosities were of Iraqi descent.

It was in 1933, that the Tabe Mena family first served what is now known as the taco arabe, an adaption of the Greek gyros sandwich, which lept from lamb and a yogurt or tahini sauce to pork loin and chipotle. Other families of Iraqi heritage dispute the Tabe Mena family’s claim, but the Tabe Mena family maintains that their grandfather Jorge Mena, who had fled the Turkish invasion of Iraq in the late 1800′s, was the first to set up shop.

The Tabe family is still behind the spit of one of the largest tacos arabes chains in Puebla, Antigua Taqueria La Oriental. There are currently over 300 taquerias in the city of Puebla that produce this iconic taste of Pueblan cuisine.

Read the entire article and review of Antigua Taqueria La Oriental on Street Gourmet LA

For geographical reasons that are beyond me, a 10-minute drive south of LAX will land you in a section of town that holds one of the best collection of Mexican seafood restaurants in Los Angeles. Draw a small circle on a map where the nebulous borders of Inglewood, Lennox and Hawthorne cross and you will find it includes such solid marisquerias as El Puerto Escondido, Mariscos Moni, and the highly-regarded Mariscos Chente, roughly forming a Bermuda Triangle of mariscos inside of which many others are hidden. One of my current favorites is the tiny La Sirena Azul, which lies in a quiet stretch of Century Boulevard located in South Inglewood. It’s not so much a restaurant as a kitchen with few tables out front, flanked on either side by a dusty jukebox and a beer cooler.

On almost every table you’ll see severals tostadas de ceviche, which can be had for only a $1.50 each. A crispy tortilla is topped with either pescado (tilapia), camaron (shrimp), pulpo (octopus) or abúlon (abalone) then mixed with lime juice, tomatoes, cilantro and onions and topped with a few slivers of avocado. The ceviche de camaron in particular, is one of the best I’ve had, the sweet tender shrimp balancing the acid of the lime juice nicely. Further improvements can be had with a fews shakes of their home-made hot sauce, which sits on the table disguised in refilled Tapatio bottles, though La Sirena’s version is much spicy and thicker than the commercial hot sauce it replaces.

La Sirena Azul
4545 W Century Blvd
Inglewood, CA 90304
(310) 673-5201

Read the full review with more pictures at LosAngeliciousTimes.com