Tunesday: Johnnie Newman

One of our favorite artists to play when beginning a night of drinking is Johnnie Newman.  His song-writing, performance and vocals are damn good.  His lyrics are pretty dark, but played over a Steely Dan-ish, 70's-esque vibe.  (I almost typed Steely Danish... that's either a cover band that changes all the songs to have food topics or a mineral-rich pastry.)

We've seen him perform live a few times at the Hotel Café and his live shows are quite fun to watch.  Johnnie's band are all very talented musicians and both fun to watch and listen to perform.

Go search this dude out.  I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.  Find him on itunes, I think that's the easiest way to get a hold of his music.

With lyrics like this, how can you go wrong:

Nothing's ever gonna be the same

times are hard and people are crazy

We all know that the world is dangerous

but it's funny how they call it the city of angels

Some days things are going great

then you catch a bullet to the side of the face

left for dead in the midnight rain

they set you up man, you got made

I left out video on this one since you can find it at his site:  www.johnnienewmanmusic.com

Giada and Justin Wilson's Culinary Love Child

A little Sunday evening meal borrowing from Giada and Justin Wilson.

The ingredients.  Healthy, eh?

Vegetables chopped and seasoned and ready to roast

I garontee this garlic bread gunna be good

Pasta and veggies ready to bake

Bread joint fresh out of the oven

Fin

Good Morning Vietnam!

There is a Vietnamese restaurant in San Pedro (Nam's Red Door) that we like to frequent and we have sampled a number of dishes there: imperial rolls, curry, some beef with veggies, etc.  This small Vietnamese eatery, however, does not have pho on the menu.  Knowing that Bob has only had Vietnamese food from this restaurant, I knew that he had never experienced this most common and loved dish.  I mean pho is to Vietnam what the hamburger is to America (at least in my mind).

We set out to Pho Hong Phat in Long Beach for a nice Vietnamese breakfast (at noon).  You may think pho is not the most common breakfast fare, but hell Anthony Bourdain does it so we were game.  The restaurant was packed and we found a table in the corner.  Before our butts hit the chairs, a waiter was there to take our order.  Feeling a little rushed I ordered the #2, pho with well-done flank and Bob ordered the pho with flank and tripe.  For our pho-play we ordered Vietnamese donuts.

Vietnamese Donuts

We also ordered two iced teas but ended up with two iced teas plus a coke (the waiter must have known that Bob would be in need of that extra beverage later on in the meal).

Our pho arrived along with a plate of lime, jalapeño, bean sprouts and mint.  I immediately doctored up my pho with everything, but the jalapeño.  Bob really kicked up his pho a notch with Sriracha (the hot sauce with a cock on it) and jalapeños.

Pho (#2)

The fixins'

Cock sauce... I mean hot sauce

In Bob's Words...

I liked my pho the way it was; directly from the kitchen.  It tasted great.  It tasted even better when I added the mint, lime, bean sprouts and jalapeño.  I decided that the more goodies I added to my pho, the better it would taste.  That was when I noticed a cock staring me dead in the eyes.  A cock that lives on a bottle of hot sauce.  A cock that dared me to get hot.  He was a dangerous looking cock, but I tend to like danger when dining.  I laughed at the cock and his stupid sauce.  I was going to show that cock that I'm not afraid of him, or his stupid sauce.

I added a pretty hearty amount of the cock sauce and mixed it in with the already delicious bowl of pho.  After my first bite of noodles and sip of broth my mouth was on fire, my lips were burning and my nose began to run as the sauce unleashed it's wrath upon my senses.  Through watery eyes I could see the cock laughing at me and my pain.  Damn you, cock, damn you.

The wrath of the cock sauce in effect

Pho Hong Phat

3243 E. Anaheim St

Long Beach, CA 90804

Life's Big Decisions: Pacific Diner

Making delicious decisions

Turkey Eater, Biscuits N' Gravy, Avocado Omelette.  Delicious!

Pacific Diner

3821 South Pacific

San Pedro, CA 90731

Tunesday: Coconut Records

When we're just sitting around and having a few drinks at the apartment, we always have some tunes going on in the background.  To drink well and to hear well makes us pretty happy on a Friday or Saturday night when letting off a little steam from the 40-hour week.

Lately we've had some music that has been the go to in order to warm up our evening.  One of said artists is Coconut Records.  Coconut Records is actor Jason Schwartzman and friends.  Probably one of the most listenable recordings done by an actor.

Over the past year or so, the 'Nighttiming' album has really grown on us, but for all the right reasons.  The songs are pretty well written both lyrically and musically and make for a mellow soundscape to enjoy some tasty beverages to.

Here's the video for the song 'West Coast' which is responsible for getting us hooked.  Also, any musician that gets involved with Mark Gonzales (the dude skating) has to be doing something right.

All In All We Had A Good Time

There are a handful of bands that turn us into chain-smoking, car-drinking, song-singing road warriors. Fortunately for our bodies, loved ones and general public safety this only happens a few times a year. Our transformation into alcohol-fueled smokestacks took place this weekend when Drag The River arrived in Los Angeles for their 8th annual Valentine's Day shows.

Friday night's show was at The Scene Bar in Glendale; a city that usually cannotes Armenians and people named Glen, but for us has become the destination for our annual DTR pilgrimage. Every great show begins with cheap domestic beer in the car and a couple tall cans while waiting in line, so this is what we did. Upon entering the venue we were greeted by the smell of urinal cakes and the visage of 'The Dude' (The Big Lebowski was being projected on the wall). We immediately cozied up to the bar and secured ourselves some $3.00 beers and settled in for an evening of music.

First up was Chris Shiflett, a member of the Foo Fighters. The music was alright, nothing that really tickled our interests. Just another dude going solo with an acoustic guitar and a sit-in lap steel player. Second up was Joey Cape, lead singer of Lagwagon, doing his solo performance. He played a lot of Lagwagon and Bad Astronaut tunes as well as a song or two off his solo record. Overall, he really sounds good and acoustic versions of Lagwagon tunes sound really good. Most of the crowd was there to see him, so we were sequestered to the back of the bar, often popping in and out of the bar for cigarettes. Once all the Joey Cape fans exited the building at the end of his set, we had prime front-row spots for the Drag the River Set. I can't really remember the set list, but they played a ton of their classics. The beginning of the set was Jon Snodgrass and Chad Price on guitar and singing. After a bit the drummer and bassist got in on 'Horses and Oxes' and just started ripping. All of us had a blast singing along and double fisting beers so we wouldn't have to head back to the bar and miss a song. After the show ended, the guys from Drag were really personable and had a few drinks and some drunken conversation with us. Sean had a few shots with Chad, and that probably turned the lights off for him that evening.

Hanging with Chris and Joey from Lagwagon

Bob and Sean Stocked up for DTR

Chad and Jon of DTR

Saturday was Valentines Day, no flowers or chocolates for us, it was time to drag our livers to the next show at The Gypsy Lounge in Lake Forest. Prior to heading down there we procured ourselves a meal at Grunions in Manhattan Beach. It is your typical bar fare; greasy burgers, fries and sandwiches. The grease was put to good use sucking up the alcohol from Friday night and providing a solid base for a second night of mass consumption. The highlight of the meal was not our food, however, it was an exchange we had with our waitress. It went a little something like this:

Waitress: What are you guys doing tonight?
Us: We're going to a show down in Lake Forest.
Waitress: Wow that's far, you guys must really like the band.
Us: Yes.
Waitress: I've never driven that far for a band, but I have driven down to San Diego for ass.

The Gypsy Lounge is located in your typical Southern California strip mall, but it does have an atypical neighbor, Captain Creams Cabaret (you can probably deduce what kind of establishment this is). The lineup was the same as the prior night. Joey Cape's set was hard to watch due to the fact the club was packed elbows to assholes and the bar was so crowded that it made getting a drink a drawn out mission. When Drag The River hit the stage, the club had thinned out a bit with all the die-hards singing along front and center. They did a ton of requests, which is usually how they handle their set. It's great to be able to yell out your favorite tunes and have them played for you immediately. We all split soon after their set ended since we had to face the long drive back up from behind the Orange Curtain.

The Crew

and don't forget Beez, please

Maybe we'll visit this place next year

The Tasty Morsel is on the wagon 'til next Saturday when we find ourselves in East L.A.

Tunesday: Drag the River

Since we're all about the appreciation of food, music and drink we need to cover some music.  Music that goes well with drinking.  Music that sings about drinking.  Music played by people drinking.  We're not talking about drunk musicians.  Well, in some cases we may, but calling someone a drunk is in poor taste and just mean.  Unless they deserve it, but I digress.

Here is our weekly post that is dedicated to the music we enjoy seeing performed and listening to.  We'll call it Tunesday because I think it's a clever play on the fact that it's about music and will be updated on Tuesdays.  Save your applause until the end.

This Tunesday's post is dedicated to a band we found a few years ago thanks to our friend Sean.  The band is called 'Drag the River' from Fort Collins, Colorado.  The two most consistent members of the band are both members of other notable bands.  Chad Price (vocals / guitar) was involved with 'All' and Jon Snodgrass was involved with 'Armchair Martian'.

'Drag the River' is a little different than both members prior bands, but it's some pretty damn fun drinking music.

We'll probably end up posting more about these guys after the weekend since they are always in town for Valentine's day for a gig down in Lake forest at the Gypsy Lounge.  They're calling it 'The 8th Annual Drag The River Valentine's Day BBQ and Booze-a-thon.'  We usually have a damn fine time drinking and carrying on, especially our friend Sean.  I think last year he bought the band a few rounds of shots just so they'd play requests.  Needless to say, they played the songs and took the shots.

I'll leave you with one last video of a song that always makes me happy.  I mean when you sing the line, 'when the creatures rape your face' with an acoustic and a bit of twang in your voice you can't go wrong.  I wonder if Glen ever saw that coming.

Cooking Up Another Gender

Let's see Giada have a co-host like this...

This Economy Calls for Simpler Times

Simpler Times

Before the unemployment rate for California reached 8.4%, Bob and I enjoyed the occasional $8.00 a pint micro-brew. But now when we all know someone who has lost their job, or taken a considerable pay-cut, we cannot afford a beer that is described like this:

Bath Ales, Gem (England)
This beer pours a very attractive deep ruby/bronze colour, with a
thinnish, off-white head. The nose has a distinct malt and red fruit
bias, with only a gentle hoppiness. On the palate there is quite a
full-bodied, creamy weight to this beer, and an initial hint of fruity
raspberry or redcurrant sweetness. A dry, savoury quality of hops pushes through, and a rich, slightly treacly malt character. It finishes with good freshness, if perhaps a little underpowered and fading slightly. 4.8% ABV, 50cl.

In times like these we need to drink econo. Drinking econo means for $8.00 you get six beers and a pack of Marlboro Lights, not just 'A beer' and a set of tasting notes. Lucky for you, we have found the perfect beer to enjoy in this economy. It is the beer equivalent of 'Two Buck Chuck'. For $3.99 a six back, you can have some 'Simpler Times', or for $13.95 you can have A LOT 'Simpler Times'. Raid the shelves of your local Trader Joe's today, for a beer that hearkens back to the days when beer was simple; just hops, barley and good old fashioned H20. Who needs a beer with 'redcurrant sweetness' that shit's just frivolous and expensive!

AL OT Simpler Times

Our Favorite Chefs - "I Gaaarooontee!"

Here's our first installment of 'Our Favorite Chefs'. What we will be doing with these posts is sharing some of the culinary geniuses that we find entertaining and enlightening.

Our first chef is a truly amazing man. From his suspenders to his tie, to his beautiful accent filled with a distant nomenclature that both makes us laugh and secretly wish he was our grandfather, this man is the epitome of what a cooking show host should be. His cooking looks incredible, but what gives him his charm is his storytelling. This man is none other than Justin Wilson.

Here's Justin telling a story about squirrel hunting that we think is probably one of the best illustrations of why this man sets the bar for 'Our Favorite Chefs'. I GAAAROOONTEE!



Note that Justin has a bottle of wine next to him as he tells the tale of the boy chunkin' at squirrels. If you dig into his videos more, you'll notice that the man loves a nice glass of wine while cooking. Don't we all? Definitely a tasty morsel indeed.

I guarantee you won't find a better garlic bread than this.



To enjoy more Justin Wilson, you can youtube him or visit www.justinwilson.com to find recipes, buy cookbooks and even DVD's and CD's. Oh, and don't ask people how they're doing anymore... it's, "How Y'All Are?"

Blood of Zeus

Bob recently celebrated his 29th birthday and because it is last the birthday before 30 we decided that this occasion called for something big.

In our experience when you want to go big, you don't do Vegas, you go Greek. What's better than a big fat, Greek birthday? Luckily we have one of the best Greek restaurants in all of Los Angeles, maybe one of the best Greek restaurants outside of Greece, right in town.

Papadakis Taverna right in San Pedro is a place where you can occasionally be served by a sports analyst / radio show host, have dollar bills shoved in your bra by the owner, serenaded by a violinist, seduced by a jazz singer / belly dancer and see a tap dance inspired by Obama's inauguration (Did you know Obama is Greek? We didn't either, but John Papadakis claims it's true).

One might think that all of the entertainment must be overcompensating for something, like the food, but actually the food is "Awesome!".

The first nibble you encounter when you are seated at Papadakis is the bread, which is served with two dipping sauces. One is Tziki, a yogurt sauce with cucumber and other mixings, and the other is a caviar sauce with bread crumbs. Needless to say the bread didn't last long.

When time for appetizers came, Bob got the honor of deciding what we would have. He decided on the Cold Meze plate which is a variety of imported Greek cheeses, olives, peppers, calamari, octopus and dolmas. Not too many people at the table were quick to eat the octopus and calamari, but that's probably why Bob ordered it, he loves his cephalopods... raw. I did, however try a taste of the octopus and it wasn't bad at all.

Our wine selection for the night was a 2004 bottle of Kouros which is nicknamed 'Blood of Zeus'. I guess if it's named after the head honcho of all Greek Gods, then it must be good enough for us. When drinking at Papadakis, your glass is never empty. If you even have a few sips left, your waiter magically appears to fill everyone's glass. This does empty the bottle pretty quickly, but isn't that the point? The folks at Papadakis want to make sure you leave happy.

One of the best parts of ordering dinner is that the waiter will bring out a tray of all the different meats on the menu and explain what kind of meat it is, as well as, the flavor and quantity in each dish. I want a plate of meat.

I had the Moushari Vassiliko which is white veal fillets with Kasseri in pastry and garnished with basil sauce. Bob had the Arni Ala Papadakis which is saddle of lamb in pastry, nicknamed 'The Greek Burrito'. Both were delicious. It makes me think that anything wrapped in Phyllo Dough is multiplied in deliciousness due to virtue of the crispy dough.

After several bottles of Zeus' Blood and bellies full of Greek meat, we headed back to Bob's place for the afterparty where I was serenaded by Bob and our bearded Canadian friend. I guess they're starting a guitar / banjo duet called Asian Street Meat Don't ask, just wait for the .bob empire.







Papadakis Taverna
310 West 6th Street
San Pedro, California 90731
(310) 548-1186
www.PapadakisTaverna.com