The Tasty Morsel

Making Raviolis

2011-11-20T15:05:00.001-08:00

Making raviolis isn't as hard as some might try and tell you. I don't know if it's because of the strong underground labor union of pasta makers, or just because they are made in secrecy by a fraternal organization of super-powerful businessmen who moonlight as purveyors of pasta purses. Either way, hopefully this won't be our last post. If it is, you can guarantee we were either attacked by union bosses and had our camera, computers and cooking utensils destroyed, or we were swept away in the night and forced to work in labor camps forever folding pasta pouches for the dark forces of the pasta-illuminati who conspire to rise against all progress of modern man and rule the world in a new empire.

Hopefully writing about our discovery of pasta making doesn't put us on some kind of watch list either. Because it would really suck to have Mario Batali enslave us to his orange Crock kingdom that much resembles a Nike facility in some third-world country. We are like craft brewers in the world of ravioli making now. We haven't a clue what we are doing, we don't mass-produce, but dammit we are independent!

Our new motto is 'Occupy Pasta!' We are going to stand up for those who are afraid, or unable to cook in the confines of their own kitchens and are held captive by the corporate constraints of Ragu and Buotoni. Down with the man!

First you have to grab your spatulas and bowls. Then, embrace the freedom and independence that our four-cheese fathers intended for us when they decided that each home should have a kitchen of it's own for the sole intention of culinary freedom for the modern man, the average man, the 100%.

Next, you add in some common binding elements - the working man, who takes up the yolk and pulls together the power of the salt and seasons of the earth, with the byproduct of the heifer and the bountiful greens of the soil that we are born to cultivate and reap.

Take up your arms, hands and fingers. Stuff your mixture of freedom, labor and love and combine it with a side of expression and individuality. Take the empty vessel that is your future and make it your own. Yes! We are free individuals with choice! With equality! Make your pasta your own. This is ours as much as it is yours! We don't need the manufactured reality that the man uses to keep us subservient and reliant on his products; forever holding us back!

We are coming closer to the goal that we are fighting for. We have occupied the kitchen too long to turn back now. Now is the time to turn pacifism to action! Break open the constraints that hold back the ingredients of our future. Free those things which have been contained for much too long and fashion them into passionate heat pockets for all that is ours!

Take all that you have labored for and make it one! Turn it into your own in the only way we know how. Consume it and digest it... much like the values that come from you! Ingest the beauty of all that you stand for in culinary freedom. The future is now boundless and bountiful. Now go out and break the chains that bind you to the pre-packaged, processed and manufactured with intention for mass consumption!

Unless you are too lazy to do so my brothers, for then you shall forever be stuck with the herd in the Tony Roma's and Olive Gardens of the world! The time is now to take action.

Ropa Vieja: Dirty Laundry

2011-10-21T16:20:00.000-07:00

Those Goddamn Cubans! They got all their dirty laundry all over the place!

What the hell do those Commie Pinkos think they're doing in the kitchen?

Dirty Laundry? See, I knew them Commies were up to something. No good Socialists.

Who does their laundry in the kitchen? Someone who doesn't believe in Capitalism, that's who!

Is that red meat? That's pretty American. Did they steal that?

What a crock!

Well, if Dirty Laundry is not really someone doing their laundry in the kitchen, then what in the hell is it?

Oh, it's a meal?

A goddamn Socialist Commie meal! See, you can't just throw everything together, mix it up and share it about. That's not what we stand for as Americans.

Well, that's pretty tender meat there. Are you Commies trying to soften me up?

Goddamnit, I knew you Commies were still going to screw it up. Where did you learn how to plate? Stalin's kitchen?

Austin Adventure

2011-10-20T16:21:00.000-07:00

Austin, Texas is one of our favorite cities to lose ourselves in when we want to escape from all the stress and routine of our daily regimen. There's just something about Austin that really gets us going.

Just don't ask if we go for the festivals. We don't believe in music festivals. We believe in enjoying music in it's natural state, not at a single location where everyone is crammed for space and everything is packaged together for you. Do you go to the zoo and have the same feeling about the experience as you would a safari?

That being said, we love Austin because it has plenty to offer in terms of what makes us happy in life; food, music, drink and good company. Our most recent adventure had plenty of the four, especially drink, which presented some challenges when documenting the trip. Sometimes it's hard to take photos when you're too busy having fun.

Here's what was on our camera when we returned home:

The first restaurant we went to when we got in was Moonshine. Here's the Beer Battered Asparagus.

Alison's Cornflake Fried Chicken Salad. Too hungry to wait for the photo op.

Bob's Backyard Chicken Sandwich.

Look Mexico on stage at Emo's. They were great live. Unfortunately that was our last chance to catch a gig at Emo's since they are closing this location.

Mexican Coke time. Why do they use cane sugar in Mexican Cokes and Corn Syrup in American ones? Cane Sugar tastes so much better.

Al's Brisket plate at Iron Works BBQ.

Bob's Jr. Rib plate. The regular rib plate was a lot of meat.

Nothing bets good BBQ and a cold beer.

Scott H. Biram tearing up the Continental Club.

We're directing the message to Austin.

Here's one of our favorite bartenders from this trip and one of our previous trips, Justin. He keeps some pretty good tunes going and the Dizzy Rooster d-bag free during the day.

Bob's Chicken Fried Steak at Red's Porch.

Al couldn't wait for photos again before digging in.

Our last watering hole on the trip - The Horseshoe Lounge.

Note: One of our favorite discoveries on this trip was a house turned awesome bar called Icenhauers. There is no photographic evidence of us there because we sipped on pickle and jalepeno infused vodka cocktails all day with Rick the bartender and Matt the barback, who later took us out on the town.

Tunesday: Scott H. Biram

2011-10-18T11:59:00.000-07:00

Scott H. Biram is transcendent yet ordinary. He seems just like a regular dude, but when he's got a guitar and a microphone in front of him, he's a musical force to be reckoned with. He can go from utter chaos to introspective and solemn from one song to the next.

We've been listening to him for a while since his music was recommended to us about 4 years ago when we were visiting Austin, Texas. Just recently we made a visit out to Austin (more about that trip later) and were able to catch Scott H. Biram perform in his hometown at the legendary Continental Club.

We didn't have a chance to catch any of his performance with our Flip camera, so here's a few videos to get you started on SHB.

Also, the dude just dropped a new record, which is worth checking out here.

We Don't Need No Stinkin' Noodles!

2011-10-13T16:29:00.000-07:00

Alison has gluten allergies. She's always sneezing, so it's not unlikely for her to fire off about 5 sneezes in a row. A few years ago, she was told that some of her allergies were tied to gluten, so she has cut a lot of products with gluten out of her diet. One item which has been stripped from her diet and mine by association, is pasta.

We used to have pasta in one form or another at least once a week. Now we try and still eat dishes that include pasta, but we replace the noodles with a vegetable. When Spaghetti Squash is in season, that's always a good substitute for noodles when having sausage with pesto pasta.

We recently found a pretty decent recipe for Lasagna that replaced the noodles with thinly sliced zucchini. There was a lot of prep and steps that went into the creation of this dish, so we'll let the below photos and captions do the explaining.

We only dice onions when shafts of light are blessing our wine and endeavors.

It wasn't too easy making wafer-thin slices of zucchini.

Browning meat with onions and green bell peppers.

Added the tomato sauce, tomato paste, wine and basil and oregano to the meat mixture.

Here's the egg, ricotta and parsley mixture.

This took the duration of both of these records to complete the prep process.

Here's the fun part. Layering all the goodies together. We started with a layer of sauce.

A layer of the thinly-sliced zucchini.

Ricotta, egg and parsley mix in the mix!

SPINACH.

Mushrooms, sir.

Mozzarella cheese?

More meat sauce, meathead.

We've reached the limit of the damn dish with more zucchini!

More? Yes.

Check out those layers.

Here's what that lil' baby lasagna looked like after baking in the oven. Damn good.

Cruisin' Claremont

2011-09-23T20:23:00.000-07:00

Our friend Sean has been living in the IE, Pomona, CA. to be specific, for a while now and we've made a handful of visits out to see him over the years. This time around we were asked to travel inland to see folk singer, Slaid Cleaves, perform as well as check out some local eateries and watering holes.

Sean lives really close to the Pomona-Claremont border, which worked out to be very convenient because the show we were going to see was taking place in Claremont. We took the short walk into Claremont and looked around for a place to stuff our faces.

Claremont has a really nice feel to it with a good amount of eateries, boutique shops and bars. Since there is a handful of colleges in the area, it seems like the perfect place for an overworked student or 9-5er to go out and let off a bit of steam.

After wandering through the area we found ourselves at Eureka!, a burger place whose tag line is 'Gourmet Burgers & Craft Beer'. They had us at burger and beer, thus we settled in and started the evening.

Eureka! was pretty busy, which is a good sign, so we headed over to the bar while waiting for our table to become available. Upon taking a seat at the bar, in front of a plethora of very interesting beer taps, we were handed a quite lengthy drink menu that consisted of all craft beers and even some whiskeys.

Al and I had to think for a few minutes on what would be best to whet our whistles, but we quickly spotted a beer that is brewed close to our hometown in Palos Verdes, called Blonde #5.

The first one was quite delicious, so we had to make sure that it held up a second time around. After we were seated outside, it was time to make it two Johnny...two!

The second one was almost better than the first.

The appetizer list looked like a treasure trove of goodies, and it was hard to make a selection, but when in doubt it is always wise to roll with the corn dogs. Eureka! had Lollipop Corn dogs with a Spicy Mustard Porter sauce and a Cheddar IPA sauce. The dogs and sauces were all delicious and made for a perfect primer for the burger goodness that was soon to arrive at our table.

I had the LuLu Burger which was a brilliant combination of ground lamb and ground beef mixed with diced onion and cilantro and topped with melted brie cheese. Under the patty was a nice bed of lettuce, tomato and onion. The kicker was the sweet mint aioli. I can't say I've had a burger quite like it before.

Sean had the Cowboy Burger which was a burger topped with onion rings, bacon, cheddar cheese and barbeque sauce. Alison had some burger, but between lettuce instead of bread, so we will forego a picture for that one.

After dinner we went up the street to the Folk Music Center to check out Slaid Cleaves perform. The Folk Music Center was pretty cool, especially for someone like me who freaks out on stringed instruments. When not a venue, the joint is an instrument shop with all kinds of stringed treats (not cheese, instruments). The walls of this place had every stringed instrument imaginable and I will definitely need to make a trip back to further investigate.

Slaid Cleaves' performance was two sets of him playing some pretty insightful songs that ranged the gamut from quitting drinking, to the death of a legendary logger to a perspective on the way people are treating each other under the guise of religion. There was even a song about the Horseshoe Lounge in Austin, TX., which we tend to imbibe at in a couple of weeks... stay tuned! In between playing he shared stories, which shed light on the song he was setting up. He played two sets, which went rather quick, but made for an entertaining evening.

Here's a couple of videos we took at the show:

Everette - http://youtu.be/e_F0KsJrMxs

Wishbones - http://youtu.be/bnDaK6NKwFk

Drinkin' Days - http://youtu.be/aSdEQhvzJyg

Afterwards, we went out to a local watering hole and knocked back a few cold ones and some peanuts. One made you thirsty, then the second made you hungry and that's pretty much how the night continued. I'm glad I had the big beer.

Culinary Gringos

2011-09-17T12:58:00.000-07:00

From time to time, we find that it's nice to settle down to a nice homemade meal in the 'Mexican Food' genre. Just like the abuelitas we never had used to make. Our south of the border repertoire includes the usual taco, burrito, enchilada, etc. We fancy ourselves pretty good Mexican food cooks, after all there's practically a Mexican joint on every corner where we live in San Pedro. That being said, if we really want to be real with ourselves, we know that what we're making is probably generic "Acapulco", "whitey-style", or "gringo" Mexican food. That's cool. It's what we are, right? White folks making food inspired by our neighbors from down south and the variety of cultures that surround us everyday right here in Los Angeles.

The only bummer about cooking Mexican food is that whenever our Mexican or South American friends see how we cook Mexican food, they roll their eyes and tell us about the prized recipes that have been in their families for generations. Now I don't know about you, but that just makes us jealous that most of the time our Mexican culinary prowess involves purchasing a Lowrey's packet and throwing it into some ground beef.

So we decided to go ask the Internet, who is an ancestor of us all, for a good Mexican recipe. We found a good one for Enchiladas and Calabacitas.

First, we chopped up about 16 Roma tomatoes, a few cloves of garlic, as well as just the right amount of onions and threw them onto an oiled cooking sheet. Then into the oven they went to get nice and roasted. After roasting, we threw this mix or mezcla of vegetables into a blender and pureed it up into a sauce for later use.

We diced up some green chiles to add a little fuego and color to our enchiladas. But, they were Anaheim chiles. Nice and mild just how us whiteys like our chiles.

We seasoned up our chicken with cumin, paprika and chile powder, then proceeded to pan fry those chicken tits.

Our chicken tits got the chop chop treatment into bite-sized bits, perfect for wrapping up with a warm tortilla hug.

Since we know how to multi-task in the kitchen, we prepped some zucchinis and some summer squash for a little roasting while we wrapped up our enchiladas.

During the assembly process we didn't miss a beat with a little chicken, cheese and chiles gingerly arranged on a tortilla, which had been dipped in simmering chicken broth. The broth bath really helped in making the tortillas tender and vulnerable - just the way we like them - so that they didn't give us any trouble when we turned them into little bundles. It also helped the tortilla to get friendly and bind to itself when going into the cooking dish.

After rolling up those bad boys or chicos malos, we smothered them in cheese and chiles, as well as our roasted tomato, garlic and onion sauce from earlier.

Into the oven with our enchiladas.

While our enchiladas cooked up in the oven, we added some onion, corn and seasonings to our roasted zucchini and cucumbers and sauteed. After the saute was finished, we topped the veggies with a little oregano, and just like that we had our calabacitas.

Once the enchiladas were done, it was time to plate everything and add some of our favorite toppings.

Of course we had plenty of left-overs, which tasted even better than the first-timers. Maybe that's the secret to good Mexican food. They are always serving you yesterday's food and the stuff you see them making fresh in the kitchen is for mañana.
.

My Summer Vacation by Bob

2011-09-09T15:04:00.000-07:00

Remember when you were a kid and returned to school after summer? Remember how you had to give a presentation on what you did over summer? Well, it was probably an excuse for your teacher to phone in the first day of class so they could shake off their hangover and get their business together after a long summer of procrastinating.

In the case of this blog, we've for passed procrastination and have been phoning in doing anything with the blog at all. So I'm going to phone in our lack of effort by doing a 'My Summer Vacation Story'. Replace 'Summer' for 'The Last Year and a Half.' Then replace 'Story' with 'Cell Phone Photos with Captions'.

Budweisers at Walker's

Shrimp Scampi at Big Nick's

Tim Barry at Alex's Bar

Breakfast Burrito and Corona at some restaurant in Sedona, AZ

Frosty beers at a really old bar in Jerome, AZ

Spirit Shirts purchased in Sedona, AZ

Chili and Cheddar at Pacific Diner in San Pedro

We didn't eat here, but I heard the portions are small

We saw The Gaslight Anthem. Mainly because Tim Barry was opening, but Gaslight turned out to be a great show

Fartbarf played in downtown San Pedro. You can see a video here.

The wall-o-boots at Robert's Western World in Nashville, TN

Tots and a dog at The Dog of Nashville

Two Cow Garage killing it at the Basement in Nashville, TN

Glossary was epic too. Probably one of my top 5 live shows.

Al enjoying her supper at The Loveless Cafe. This place was amazing. Really off the beaten path in Tennessee.

Home of the best biscuits I have ever had. If you don't believe me, you better book a flight.

Turkey, fried green tomatoes and mac and cheese / Pork, sweet potatoes and hush puppies.

Faith No More at the Palladium.

It seemed like they never broke up...

The presentation was better than the flavor. Some chain restaurant.

Dogs, a Mexican Coke and a Mexican Pepsi at the Corner Store in San Pedro.

Old Crow Medicine Show playing in 'Pedro. I spent most of my time at the beer tent since I wouldn't be able to see anything either way.

Food trucks a been comin' to 'Pedro...

... Maybe we'll write about it.

That's a hell of a Monte Cristo. Rex's in San Pedro.

Niko's in San Pedro now has a Greek section in their menu. The above was delicious.

The Pine Hill Haints played on the Rocket Boat in Long Beach. It was crowded and the boat did not rocket.

So that was what happened the whole time we weren't writing. Nothing more, nothing less. We are planning on bringing back normal stories, recipes, bands, adventures, etc., etc., etc., so keep yer eyes peeled.

Tunesday: Micah Schnabel

2010-05-18T17:10:00.001-07:00

Ever heard of Two Cow Garage? If you answered no, then you should go treat yourself to some good music, then come back.

The focus of this post is the lead singer of Two Cow Garage, Micah Schnabel. Dude's a seriously awesome songwriter who sings with a sense of urgency and meaning. I had been listening to TCG for a while when I saw that Suburban Home Records would be releasing Micah's solo album. Being the music geek that I am, I swooped on it immediately. I think after the first or second listen through, both Alison and I were hooked on the record. Everything from his playing to his lyrics to his vocal delivery are damn good. I'm not going to bother washing this dude up any longer, just watch the below videos and you'll understand why we like the dude's music so much.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_t0dPHXfBuI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTGO3XGRlR8

Me and My Bag of Hot Links

2010-05-17T22:59:00.001-07:00

Alison's been in New Jersey the past week having fun with her family. We've written about our adventures there before, but this time I'm left behind to fend for myself while she gets to vacation in one of the misunderstood states in the Union.

Luckily for me, a week ago I purchased this awesome bag of Bar M Louisiana Brand Hot Links: Extra Hot.

I don't know under what circumstance I would be able to get Al to eat these for 2 reasons: 1. They are pork. 2. They are marked as hot. Basically she doesn't really like the other white meat and she shies away from the spicier of the food chain. Myself on the other hand, I love this stuff.

Out of the bag of 15 sausages, I am down to 5, so I'm doing pretty good. My favorite way to cook them is to boil the bad boys for about 5 minutes. It gets them nice and hot while hardening the skin up a bit and absorbing up water while retaining the juices of the sausage.

Next, I have a hot skillet waiting for the boiled sausages. Once the boiling is over, they go straight to the skillet at medium heat. Hot enough to leave a little searing, but not too hot to where the skin gets burnt or the sausages pop.

While the sausage gets crisped up in the skillet, I toast two hot dog buns. The whole while the Three Muskateers, mustard, pickles and sauerkraut lie in wait. (Claussen products are the best, but I'll elaborate on that in another post.)

You introduce the fine ingredient to each other ...

Then watch the Lakers or whichever sporting team you follow.

These sausages are pretty damn good, so go try to find some. If you think you can't eat 15 within a reasonable time, then freeze them ya dummy... for your health!

Tunesday: Uncle Tupelo presented by 'The Unwanted Guest'

2010-03-30T09:31:00.000-07:00

Bob here... we've recently been solicited some unsolicited material. Our good friend Sean sent us over the below article for Tunesday. He demanded we call him 'The Unwanted Guest'. We aren't sure why he feels unwanted, but we'll leave the psychoanalysis up to the professionals. Enjoy thew below article and thanks, Sean.

Unless you have been living under a rock for the past 15 or so years, you have likely heard of the band Wilco with their 7 full length records, 2 records of unreleased Woody Guthrie material recorded with Billy Bragg, and sold out shows all over the world. Some of you may have even heard of Son Volt, although it is less than likely. It is more than likely that most of you have never heard of Uncle Tupelo.

Uncle Tupelo was a country band, although not in the ordinary sense of the Nashville bands you may be familiar with. Uncle Tupelo was an alternative band, although not in the same vain of Nirvana, Green Day, and the other alternative bands taking over the air waves in the early 1990s. Uncle Tupelo was an alternative country band, formed by Jeff Tweedy (Wilco) and Jay Farrar (Son volt) (Assisted at times by Brian Henneman of the Bottle Rockets) , before alternative country even existed, and long before alternative country was a punk rock retiree in a flannel shirt with an acoustic guitar. These twenty something’s started off playing punk rock, spurred by their admiration of The Ramones, the Minuteman, and Black Flag; however, there was little positive reception to punk rock in the scenes of Belleville, IL or St. Louis, MO. Driven by their desire to play music, they began to listen to the country music their parents had forced on them as children for inspiration. Out of this rose 4 records, a major label record deal, a nationwide tour, and some would say, Alternative Country.

When you turn on Anodyne, their major label debut, you hear Alternative Country… a concoction of the Ramones meets Hank Williams, with a side the Minutemen fronted by Neil Young, the rhythms of any ‘90s punk or alternative band with the twang, edge, and drawl of the Johnny Cashes, Kris Kristofferson’s, etc. Lyrics, alternated between Farrar and Tweedy, covered the topics of blue collar life in the Midwest and girls and relationships. This hybrid mix should have appealed to rock and country fans alike, however, selling a mere 150,000 copies (Sire records assumed they would be a platinum record making cash cow like all of the other alternative acts) reinforced that it was too rock for the country folk and to country for the rock folk. Fallout occurred between Tweedy and Farrar in 1994, breaking up Uncle Tupelo, and leading to the aforementioned Wilco (which started as Uncle Tupelo – Jay Farrar) and Son Volt.

Tweedy argues that they didn’t create a genre; they were simply playing Americana and furthering the work laid down by previous artists, notably Guthrie and the Flying Burrito Brothers. However, with a listen to many of the emerging Alt-County acts out there today, it is easy to see Uncle Tupelo’s influence. With more and more groups trying this “we are country” business these days, Tupelo classics like Whiskey Bottle, Graveyard Shift, Factory Belt Long Cut, continue to sound more sincere and relevant.

I cannot pinpoint when I first found Uncle Tupelo. I believe it started early in college as I out grew punk rock, heard a band called Lucero, and tried to engulf my self in this new found alternative country. These days, I don’t listen to Uncle Tupelo to pay homage to the alt-country scene I have embraced: I listen to Uncle Tupelo because it’s really good and although the records are aging quickly, they are still relevant to my current listenings.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hy3WkIfgkSQ

Cover of Terry Fell’s Truck Driving Man

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOYdlgOmxwI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICrur9dMoiA

Tunesday: Playing Catch-Up

2010-03-09T09:52:00.000-08:00

This is where I was about to write about how long it's been since I wrote a Tunesday update. I'm glad I didn't. Although I did. Man...

Even though I have been pretty lazy with keeping up to date in the writing department, I have still been buying new music almost on a weekly basis. There's been so much good stuff coming out lately and a lot of it is coming from one of my favorite labels / distributors, Su burban Home Records / Vinyl Collective. I found out about SH Records when I first started listening to Tim Barry and Drag The River, both of which are on SH Records. I first saw Tim and DTR probably about 4 years ago when they played Alex's Bar in Long Beach. Such a good show, I think I walked away with some merch from both bands.

I began buying more and more releases from Suburban Home Records. I started getting their newsletters and they were just putting out so many good records by bands like Tim Barry, Josh Small, Drag The River, Austin Lucas, Two Cow Garage, Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground, The Takers and more. I started falling down the rabbit hole.

I discovered SH Records was putting out 7-inch vinyl titled 'Under the Influence' where they find a set of bands or artists to do a cover version of a song that has influenced them and their music. Well, I didn't own a record player, but I had to buy one to hear these songs since they were only available on vinyl or digital download. Now, I have a problem collecting audio. I need the artwork. I need the physical copy, so here I am now with the whole first run of the 'Under the Influence' series (even multiple copies of some since there were some released in different colors of vinyl).

Now since I own the record player, the world is my musical oyster. To top it off, the dudes that run Suburban Home Records also run The Vinyl Collective where they sell tons of awesome vinyl. The most recent releases I bought were a couple of Jawbreaker records... so good.

All that ruthless plugging aside, I'd like to share with you some music from a few of the bands that have been on my turntable / in my CD player / on my itunes. Please pay close attention to the following:

Click here if on Facebook.

That's Micah Schnabel's (Two Cow Garage) solo record. I'm really impressed with the album front to back, and can't wait to see what he comes out with next.

Then dig this... the new Look Mexico record!

And... Tim Barry at Alex's Bar this weekend! With a true G, Possessed by Paul James:

Reactionaries

2010-02-18T13:49:00.000-08:00

Time for a little shameless promotion... although that's what writing blogs is all about, right?

I recently partnered up with a few friends to start a record label that showcases musicians from my hometown of San Pedro. We just finished our first record, which is a re-release (first release) of a practice tape The Reactionaries (Minutemen before they were the Minutemen) and a b-side of a bunch of pedro musicians doing their versions of the songs by the aforementioned band. It's a pretty cool concept and was a lot of fun to make. You can check out site out at Water Under The Bridge Records. We even have another blog that chronicles the whole process of making the record.

It was a pretty damn cool experience. Chuck Dukowski of Black Flag played on it as well as Jack Brewer and Joe Baiza of Saccharine Trust and even Mike Watt, Todd Congelliere. So get down!

We are having a release party for the record at Harold's Place in San Pedro, Saturday Feb. 20th with a bunch of bands and good times. Check / click on the flyer below for info!

Ante's

2010-02-17T22:23:00.000-08:00

Do you know when a restaurant must be really good? When the street it's on is named after it's family patriarch who created the restaurant. That's right. I'm talking about Ante's located on Ante Perkov way in San Pedro, CA.

Funny thing is that after living in San Pedro all my life, I've never eaten here. I've been to the bar a handful of times on 'Big Wednesday' when all the locals get together and have drinks with Ante (the grandson of the founder with the same first name). The one thing I do have to give Ante's credit for was it gave me a hunger and desire for fried calamari. The first time I ever tried the dish was when my friend's parents brought home a box of leftovers from their evening at Ante's. Since then I have been hooked on the fried deliciousness... although I never went back to the source. What was I thinking?

So one random Saturday evening, Alison and I went to Ante's with our neighbors Brandon and Melissa to indulge ourselves in some fine Croatian dining at Ante's. The dining room is old and awesome. Just sitting in the booth gave me a sense of history and tradition. Looking around at the other patrons, I had a feeling that everyone else had been there before a time or two and I would soon find out why.

We started off the evening with a bottle of Wente Riesling. It must have been pretty popular because by the time we ordered our second bottle, we had depleted their stock. The waitress later informed us that they had a baptism party earlier that day. I guess it must have been a fun one. Oh, and our waitress was pretty damn cool too. She was on top of everything we needed and pretty witty to boot. She did a good job of making us feel comfortable and at home.

Brandon getting gangsta with some Riesling

As I mentioned before, I learned how to enjoy calamari after eating leftovers from Ante's. Now it was time to go to the source. My experience before was like walking into a concert and getting a contact high. This time I was got to get the real thing, and you know what? I'm still jonsing another fix of some deep fried deliciousness.

Since Brandon and Melissa had been to Ante's quite a few times before, they guaranteed us that the dish to have was the Mostaccioli and a side of the Sauerkraut. Well, needless to say they were completely correct in this suggestion. Due to the massive portions at Ante's Alison and I split an order of the Mostaccioli as suggested by Brandon and Melissa. The sauce, cheese, meat and noodle heaven was really out of this world. The Sauerkraut was the shocker though. I put Sauerkraut on my hot dogs, but that's usually it. I've never even thought of it as an actual dish on it's own, but Ante's does it. Hot Sauerkraut with meat and sausage mixed in. My world had been changed.

After everything was said and done, we were stuffed, satisfied and slightly buzzed from the superb meal and spirits. Afterward we went home, not before a stop to our local booze dispensary, and drank a little Irish whiskey. I slept quite well that night, but I am still dreaming of my next meal at Ante's.

Ante's Restaurant

729 Ante Perkov Way

San Pedro, CA 90731

(310) 832-5375

New Years Eve Part III: Busy Bee Cafe

2010-02-16T22:22:00.000-08:00

With 2009 behind us as well as our camp site, we were headed south towards home and driving into the future with 2010 fresh in our minds. The future? I remember being a kid and seeing drawings of the flying cars we'd have in 2010. What the hell, future? You are already letting me down. So, to forget about how lame 2010 has started out (the lack of flying cars part) we decided that we'd be best eating in the past. In order to quell our hunger for the past, we found a nice, old diner in Venture called Busy Bee Cafe.

The diner is situated on a really quaint street in Ventura that has a real sense of history. I felt like I was an extra in 'American Graffiti'. The waitresses in the Busy Bee Cafe wear the old-style waitress uniforms and there are controls to the jukebox at every booth. Pretty cool, right?

I had a patty melt and Alison had a chicken sandwich. My food was pretty damn good. It even came with an apple. Who serves an apple as a side anymore? No one in 2010 except for the Busy Bee Cafe.

Go get yourself a piece of history and hop into your flying car and try the tasty diner fare that Busy Bee Cafe has to offer.

Busy Bee Cafe

478 East Main Street
Ventura, CA 93001-2627
(805) 643-4864

New Years Part II: Fish Feast

2010-02-14T22:20:00.000-08:00

New Years Eve, Camping and Cioppino. They go hand in hand, right? Well, when you're camping with Alison's aunts Marci and Barbara, they do. I'm not giving a play by play on this one because the pictures speak for themselves. On top of that, no one really spoke during the meal because every one's mouth was full for about a half hour while we feasted on the superbly prepared seafood soup. I guess one word to encapsulate this fine dinner: 'Delicious'. That's roughin' it.

Our chefs shocked as they realize how much prep there is involved

Aunt Marci showing off her apron and bowl of seafood goodness.

Marci stealing Emeril Legasse's signature move... I bet he's never thrown a little 'Bang' while wearing such a stylish apron.

I wish I was eating this now.

New Years Part 1: Summerland Beach Cafe

2010-02-08T22:17:00.000-08:00

As you are probably aware, The Tasty Morsel has been living the good life - too busy, full and hungover to write. To punish ourselves for abandoning our faithful readers we decided to go on a no frills camping trip to ring in the new year. So, while you were dressed up in your finest popping bottles of champagne and endulging in passed hours d'oeuvres we were roughing it at El Capitan in Santa Barbara.

After loading up the old Ford Sports Trek with our tent, sleeping bags and double-thick queen-sized air mattress we were on our way. It was a funny coincidence; about an hour and a half into our trip our stomaches growled and we just so happened to be about a mile outside of Summerland. The town is a real shit-hole. Cottages with white picket fences and antique shops overlooking the ocean. I can't believe a 2 bedroom goes for $1.5 million here. We were lucky to find Summerland Beach Cafe.

I ordered homemade chicken tortilla soup and a turkey sandwich with bacon and melted cheese between two thick pieces of bread.

Bob had the Avo Bravo Burger which was overflowing with creamy avocados, savory ortega chilis, bacon and all held together with melted, tangy swiss.

We also decided to have a few of their beer-battered onion rings the size of our heads. After all, we were heading into the wilderness and this was probably going to be our last decent meal.

We managed to choke it down - I mean did everything have to be so fresh? What's wrong with letting everything sit around for a while so the flavors have a chance to come together?

Shortly after our stop in Summerland we stopped in downtown Santa Barbara to get a few provisions. We just got the basics: pomegranate juice and champagne, heinekens, water (a mixer) and a few packs of smokes.

El Capitan was just a little north of downtown and we were there before we knew it. When I checked in at the campground the attendant informed me that we were the only 'tenters'. I was not surprised, who else would be so brave to face the 70° days and upper 40° nights on a bluff in Santa Barbara?

Home Sweet Home!

Stay Tuned for part II... things get a little fishy!

Summerland Beach Cafe

2294 Lillie Avenue
Summerland, CA 93067
(805) 969-1019

Musso & Frank

2010-02-02T22:14:00.000-08:00

Not too long ago Alison and I went out to Hollywood to see William Elliott Whitmore at the Hotel Cafe. So, why not go to the world famous Musso and Frank Grill? The place has been around forever, specifically since 1919. My main drive to visit the place was because I've read Bukowski's exploits and visits to Musso and Frank. Totally an odd reason to want to go to a restaurant, but hey, why not?

Finding parking was pretty easy since they have their own lot in the back. Usually parking in that area of Hollywood costs a bunch and is a total pain. Since this was easy, I was in a good mood. I really hate parking problems. There's been one or more occasion where I've had a meltdown and threatened to turn around and head for home due to lack of parking. Once I think I even turned around and came home. Gotta love a healthy temper.

The restaurant is nice and dark (as you can tell from our photos), which provides a nice ambiance. Upon looking around, the first thing I noticed that harkened back to older times was that each and every booth had it's own coat rack. Unfortunately I wasn't wearing a coat which could occupy our table's coat rack, but that is neither here nor there.

Time for drinks...

Musso's has a pretty broad range of cocktails that your grandparents may have indulged in. Not to say that the liqior is old at Musso's, but they have classic recipes. Alison ordered a Ramus Fizz and I had an Old Fashioned.

The menu at Musso's is full of classic dishes: pork chops, steaks, turkey meals, etc. Unfortunately for us, $35 for a meal is a bit much, so we had to find the cheaper menu items. Alison went for cheese ravioli's with mushroom sauce and I had the manicotti. Both were pretty damn good.

After we stuffed our bellies and sucked down our drinks, it was time to head down the street and check out William Elliott Whitmore. You can see a video we shot at the show here. We apologize in advance for the weight-supporting beam in the shot, but the place was pretty packed.

Food Bloggin...

2010-01-29T11:07:00.000-08:00

We're still working on content... In the meantime, here's a funny from Toothpaste For Dinner.

www.toothpastefordinner.com

Portland Adventure: Voodoo Doughnut

2009-10-15T17:13:00.000-07:00

Recently we took a little trip out to Portland and Cottage Grove, Oregon to visit my family. One of my cousins was getting married out in Portland, so while there why not eat things and take pictures of them, right? Before we left, my friend Eric informed that there was an awesome doughnut place in Portland called Voodoo Doughnut. He was all hyped because they an Apple Fritter as big as your head, a bacon and maple bar and a doughnut called the Memphis Mafia (chocolate chips, peanut butter, banana and glaze). I don't know if he actually visited the place or saw it on TV, but I was intrigued by the donut magic which he spoke of.

Voodoo Doughnut is a small place and almost easy to miss if you aren't looking out for the place. Of course we were honed in to some awesome doughnuts, so we saw the place right away before having to circle around the downtown area a few times in order to find parking.

Once inside we were welcomed with some awesome artwork and plenty of fresh doughnuts.

Al went with the Vegan Chocolate doughnut and I went with the Bacon Maple Bar. Honestly, the vegan doughnut tasted just like an awesome regular doughnut, which is awesome because sometimes vegan food doesn't taste too good, especially sweets.

My Maple Bacon Bar was pretty epic. Sweet and savory with a little saltiness. Pretty obvious, right? What else would pork and sweets taste like? Despite it being a trippy doughnut, the execution of the doughnut itself was good. The actual pastry was moist and not too sweet, the maple glaze wasn't too thick and the bacon topped it off perfectly. That's probably the most in-depth food explanation you'll get out of me.

Maybe I could end this by saying something witty like, 'Voodoo Doughnut really cast a spell on me with their doughnut magic.'. But I'll avoid doing something as cheesy as that.

Tunesday: King Tubby

2009-09-29T09:47:00.000-07:00

Recently I was conversing with one the readers of The Tasty Morsel about the music we feature on our Tunesday posts. He seemed to think that we were lacking in diversity as to what music we have been posting. I find that to be untrue since we've posted bands from the likes of URTC to Look Mexico to Drag The River to Coconut Records as well as many others. So we'll delve into something a little more different.

With my recent acquisition of a new record player, the hobby of collecting of vinyl has been sparked in me and there are just some types of music that sound great on vinyl. One such genre is Dub music, and the artist we'll focus on here is one of the grandfathers of Dub, King Tubby.

Dub is a pretty awesome genre since it is one of the early forms of remixing music, a-la today's mashup. Pioneers of Dub in the 1960's and 70's such as King Tubby would take Reggae tunes and strip out the vocals, add delay, reverb, sample in lyrics, etc. Dub music allowed the dude behind the mixing board to be the composer as he altered tunes and gave them a whole new perspective.

Here's a little taste of the King at work:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PB28MKa7AiM

I find it a little funny that recently Alison and I have been sitting on our front porch playing King Tubby records on a Friday evening. From a distance if you heard some Dub playing, you'd expect to walk by and see two older Jamaican dudes sharing a spliff and sippin' on some Red Stripe, but instead you see a pale couple smoking cigarettes and drinking Miller Lite (when on sale).

That's the beauty of listening to music though. No matter what social stereotype has been labeled to the music, anyone can listen to and appreciate it. However, I do find that the performance of certain music best be left to the professionals...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTkreQgI5zk

Doing Work: Lucero Video

2009-09-25T09:27:00.000-07:00

If you're a constant reader of 'The Tasty Morsel' you'd get the impression that all we do here is eat, drink and go to shows. With that kind of lifestyle, who has time to work when there's barely enough time to party? Well, we do work and sometimes our work brings us projects that pull our leisure and labor closer to each other. Recently, Bob applied to direct a music video for one of our favorite bands, Lucero. Needless to say, he got the job and after a month or so of toiling and animating until the wee hours in the home office. Here's what he came up with:

http://vimeo.com/6613272

Johnny Davis from Lucero on Vimeo.

Tunesday: Austin Lucas / Mike Hale / Two Cow Garage

2009-09-22T15:44:00.001-07:00

We are proud to have another set of videos that we shot ourselves live at a gig to represent our fine Tunesday update.

This Tunesday will focus mainly on Austin Lucas, but in a few of the videos, he has some really good back up musicians. Last night we headed out to Hollywood to check out Austin Lucas, Mike Hale and Two Cow Garage at Crane's Tavern. Upon arrival, everyone was locked out of the venue since the hired help was running late, but after a short wait, we were inside on the back patio enjoying $1 Budweisers... not bad.

The first act up was some kind of rockabilly setup that all dressed the part, but was lacking in the originality / musically diversity category. Every song sounded the same, they even started a few songs with some really cool first couple of seconds, but then jumped back into their washed out sound once the time for vocals to show up came in. Funny thing is that most of the crowd was there to see them (all of which were out on dress-up night too).

Next, Mike Hale and Austin Lucas played an unplugged acoustic set out on the patio. Damn fine stuff... too bad many people that weren't watching the show decided that it was their right to be goofing off and making a bunch of noise about 5 feet from there Austin and Mike were performing. Roll tape...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zH7P9REJyf0

Following Mike Hale and Austin's outdoor set, Two Cow Garage played inside. Now, this venue is tiny inside, lacks a stage, and was unable to stand up to the volume that Two Cow Garage played at. Needless to say, they could have had a bit of a stronger P.A., but either way Two Cow Garage really turned it on. These dudes play with so much excitement and energy, it is just fun watching them. We did shoot a couple of videos of them, but due to their sheer volume, the microphone on the camera wasn't handling the audio well. Maybe next time. They did play backing band to Austin Lucas for a few songs, which came across really well, especially since the only stuff I've heard of Austin Lucas is acoustic. Clip #2...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WnB-KoUzxo

After about a half dozen songs or so, Two Cow Garage left the stage and Austin Lucas played unplugged for the dozen or so people that were watching. All of which were obviously fans since they were singing along to the tunes and actually keeping quiet while Austin got to playing. The coolest part was that Austin made everyone that was watching him play stand really close in a circle around him. Everyone that was in the front of the circle was practically a foot away from him while he played, which brings the whole idea of an intimate show to the next level. A very cool feeling indeed. Enjoy this last clip and Austin Lucas' golden voice, beautiful song writing and impressive guitar playing...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vsaqn41j78

After the gig was through, we got ourselves an Austin Lucas LP and headed home. A nice Monday night indeed. Sorry that the videos appear so red, but the lack of actual lighting and abundance of mood lighting don't help our little camera. You're supposed to listen to the music anyways.

You can check out music by all three of the above mentioned artists at Suburban Home Records. Best get on it!

Where's My Steak, Diane!

2009-09-18T17:29:00.000-07:00

Gawdammit Diane! Shut those damn kids up and get to work in the kitchen! You think I spend all day workin' jus to come home to your screaming children and an empty table? I swear if you don't move that busted down ass into the kitchen, I'm gonna have to start drink'n that there whiskey. You know what happens when I start drink'n whiskey, now get!

Great! You found a book with pictures of food on it. Praise the Lord! Can you even read? I'm hungry and that there bottle is eyeballin' me. You better be fix'n me some shit from 1950!

Looks like you got it half right woman. I like the looks of that there steak Diane! Now what the hell is them 'shrooms and O-nee-ons doing next to my meat? Better not screw this one up, you're one mistake away from falling down the stairs again!

What is this here shit? Do I look like a beady-eyed, vegetable-eating rabbit? Am I a tiny lumberjack, Diane?

I want my meat Woman! Beef! The red shit that's inside dead animals. Not some Gawdamm steaming bowl of fungis and roots!

Gawdamn! That's the ticket woman! Steak, Diane!

What in the hell is that yellow shit? That better be cheese! Holiday sauce? What in the hell holiday are you talkin' bout? Everyday I bring home a paycheck is a holiday!

That's fine, real fine. Let me just move this shit off the top of my steak Diane and I can get to eatin'. You know what? Bring me down that there bottle. Nothin' goes better with meat than some of that there whiskey.

You're lucky Diane! Next time your ass is in real trouble if I have to come home to an empty table.

Now go make your own Steak Diane!

Tunesday: Cory Branan

2009-09-15T08:18:00.000-07:00

Here's a little something different for the Tunesday update. This time around, we actually brought a flip camera to the last gig we attended and got a little footage of our own.

Last Saturday, we headed down to Hollywood's Knitting Factory and saw the rare and elusive Cory Branan. The guy doesn't make it out this way very often, so when he makes a stop, we try and attend. Cory says he's from Memphis by way of Austin, but I think most of the songs and stories in his songs originate from his roots in Memphis. Songs about white trash girls, roller rinks, and the like seem to have a wandering sense lyrically and musically, almost as if he is performing off the top of his head through stream of consciousness. Dude's got some pretty wild guitar chops and a voice to boot... and 'a way with words that will bring you to your knees.'

This particular show was kind of lame being that it was all ages and the other bands weren't really up our alley. It was kind of like being a chaperone at a high school dance: we could only sip a few drinks while watching and wondering what is wrong with the teenagers today. There were even a handful of parents there. I even witnessed someone's grandma getting a beer at the bar, and I swear she threw back half of it on her first swig.

I was quite amused when Cory realized that he was cussing up a storm at an all ages event. However, when he realized his crass dialect was caressing the ears of minors, he just kept on rolling and cussing a bit more. That's a dude that belongs in the bars...

You can view the video larger at our YouTube channel.

Eating at Jackie Chan's Favorite Food and Gawking Hipsters

2009-09-12T12:59:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday we committed ourselves to a lot; transport to Chinatown, finding a restaurant to eat copious amounts of vinegar and cornstarch on a dime, cocktails and then making it to The F-No Fest to see Lucero.

Not only did we accomplish all of this, but we exceeded our own expectations. Usually we would jump in our car and find our way down the 110, but this time we decided we should take public transport. Our friend, Sean, convinced us that it would breed adventure since we were all L.A. metro virgins. But, luckily, it was pretty unadventurous except for the guy that jumped in at the Compton stop and gave a very convincing sales pitch for Coby headphones. So convincing that we decided to take him with us so he could convince security at The Fest to let us into the VIP lounge. No, this didn't really happen, but Sean (who is always looking to score a deal) really thought long and hard about it.

We arrived about an hour later at Grand Central Station. Our journey through the barrios of Los Angeles had us feening for Chinese food. Sean, in a previous trip to Chinatown, had been to the restaurant where they shot Rush Hour and said it was tasty and cheap. We decided to seek this place out again, not wanting to take a chance on sketchy Chinese that would leave us in an uncomfortable predicament...later...at the fest...in a long line...for a blue port -a- potty.

Fortune-ately, we found it "Foo Chow Restaurant Where Best Seller Movie By Jackie Chan Was Shot Here". We ordered Tsing Taos and the family meal, which came with fried rice, sweet and sour pork, orange chicken, chow mein, egg rolls and fried shrimp. Everything was delicious and only cost us $40 and we quickly decided that we should celebrate our tasty and cheap meal with cocktails.

Enter Chinatown's best dive bar - Hop Louie's. It was dark, there was some nice folk to talk to and the bartender, Sean, was a good bullshitter. We liked Sean The Bartender. He had the name of an Irishman and, more importantly, poured a drink like an Irishman, but we were in Chinatown - so, no he wasn't an Irishman.

After a round, or four, we made our way down to The FYF Fest.

Years before, The FYF Fest was called 'The Fuck Yeah Fest' and would be a series of shows spread across a handful of bars in the Hollywood / Silverlake area. The bands were underground and the concept was great. You just barhopped from gig to gig and enjoyed a weekend of music. Not this time. This year, the festival got a makeover. They ditched the 'Fuck Yeah Fest' and traded in the vulgarity for a simple 'FYF'. Pretty stupid I think, since the name 'FYF Fest' pretty much means 'Fuck Yeah Fest Fest'. The stupidity grows even larger once we got to the gig. It was at LA Historical National Park in downtown, a large and spread out lawn. Three stages were spread across the park and the whole thing smelled of Warped Tour Ugliness. Tons of shitty kids going to see even shittier bands. A bunch of 'Hardcore' and 'Crapcore'. The only bands we had any interest in seeing were Lucero, Japanther and possibly Tim and Eric. Oh, and in order to drink beer, you were caged into a small area of the park and couldn't even see any of the stages from the far-away drinkers corner. Oh, and it cost $7 for a Miller Lite. It looks like someone was making money hand over fist.

I'd love to rant about the kids there, but I don't have time. Lets just say they were of the 'hipster' variety. Pretty much a retarded fashion show. Ironic t-shirts that they found at trailer park garage sales, goofy neon glasses, man-shorts that showed enough pale skin to blind a deaf man, shitty hair cuts, bad facial hair, etc. You can study these ilk here and here.

So, those people were enough to drive us to our wit's end.

Needless to say, we could only stomach the gig for Lucero's set. They played well, we screamed all the lyrics as well as our drunk selves could and that was about it.

Verdict: Jackie Chan has good taste in Chinese food, FYF Fest has bad taste in becoming a commercialized mess with masses of people who believe they are not commercial even though they are just another giant mass of people trying to look different, yet looking all the same.

Tunesday: Andrew Jackson Jihad

2009-08-25T10:36:00.000-07:00

Lately around these parts, we've been updating more about music than food... trust me, we've still been eating though, but not out and about as often as we like. Being that our pockets aren't lined with gold, our culinary excursions have been cut down a bit. Maybe we'll do a write up about this really cool pizza place with a really cool specialty... Croatian-style pizza. (because it's good, not just because it's walking distance from our apartment)

Anyways.

Here's another band that we find ourselves listening to quite often as we sit around on a Friday night wearing away the tarnish of the week's toil. Not only do they have an awesome name, but they have an awesomely unique sound to belt out their message. I get the feeling that I'm being screamed at by a paranoid folk band on crank when I listen to these dudes. Everything is fast paced and paranoid. Messages delivered in a wail, but lyrical content that definitely rings true. Oh, and their name is Andrew Jackson Jihad.

Here's one of my favorites. I find the idea of beards on fire as funny.

Their most recent record dropped a while ago on Asian Man records with a new record slated for September '09. You can probably find these dudes jamming somewhere in Arizona if they aren't out and about on the road, which by the looks of their website, does not include California.

Another tune?

Gotta love people, right?

Tunesday: Japanther

2009-08-18T12:15:00.000-07:00

Hey kiddos, another fine Tunesday Tuesday installment for you all. Today we'll be looking at a band from Brooklyn called Japanther. Two dudes, bass, drums, casio, phones for microphones, and good tunes. Let's have a listen, shall we?

I'm pretty excited because I'll get to see these dudes play in a few weekends at the FYF Fest at the National Park here in L.A. Along with them will be Lucero and Tim and Eric. Should be a fabulous day of a few bands I know and a bunch I have to learn about.

Here's another Japanther video that I found to be rather interesting...

Tunesday: Look Mexico

2009-08-11T10:21:00.000-07:00

Check it out... Tunesday is back. Unless this is your first time reading The Tasty Morsel, then Tunesday never left.

Lately I've been tripping out on Look Mexico. These dudes do some magic with their instruments on their full length titled 'This is Animal Music'. I find the complexity of their playing and orchestration to be one of the most interesting things I've heard in a long time. Check out this pretty awesome video for a track off their full length:

Since I found out that they recently joined the lineup on Suburban Home Records, I am very excited to see what they come out with next and who they will hit the road and tour with. I hope you agree with me that Look Mexico is a pretty tight outfit.

Here's another video where the band eats cherry pie and drinks red wine... all while being served by a unshaven and unkempt metal version of Mario Batali.

Tom Berginthans

2009-08-09T13:15:00.000-07:00

On a hot summer evening one might think that a Corona and dip in the pool would be a nice way to cool down, but how 'bout a dark pub followed by some Canadians singing 'bout Winnepeg, ayy?

A short while ago thats just what Bob and I did. We had tix to see one of our favorite bands, The Weakerthans, who only brave the L.A. heat once every couple years. They were playing at the Roxy and since we were going down Fairfax to get to Sunset we couldn't imagine not stopping at Bergin's for a quick pint and bite.

In L.A. there are not a lot of "authentic" Irish bars - most are just fronts for 5'10 blonds to serve you a 'Blarney' burger, which is no different than a regular burger, while wearing tanks with a strategically placed shamrock that accentuates their fake racks.

But, within a few blocks of each other exists, from what I can tell, the two most legit Irish bars in L.A. - aforementioned Tom Bergin's and Molly Molloys.

Bergin's is properly decorated with all wood walls, a nice oval bar and a quaint dining room with white, lace linens. We decided to sit in the dining room because we were feeling classy like that. Before we even sat down we knew that we wanted the corn beef egg rolls served with some mustard that packs a punch. For our main dishes we ordered Bangers n' mash and a turkey club on an English Muffin (I know we might as well have been eating a Blarney Brurger).

The bangers were bangin' and club was was exactly what we were looking for - thick hand-carved turkey, perched perfectly on an English Muffin, adorned with bacon and smothered in cheese.With bellies full of beer and grub we said goodbye to the Irish portion of the evening and began the Canadian portion of the evening.

In the past we have seen the Weakerthans at pretty large venues, like the El Rey, so we were looking forward to seeing them in a more intimate venue, like the Roxy. We quickly found a corner to the left of the stage, that just so happened to be in front of the bar ( I guess the Irish part of the evening wasn't quite behind us after all).

With beer and corned beef-baited breath we waited for the show to begin. The crowed was a pretty mixed crowd, but since The Weakerthans have a pretty heavy cult following, we knew we were going to be singing along with a bunch of friends in music. With songs about amateur cartography, a cat named virtue and curling, it's easy to remember the lyrics, well that, and they're damn well written. John K. Samson, the lead vocalist, is a poet backed by some really amazing players. Most everyone in the band plays multiple roles. The drummer was playing the melodica at one point, the lead guitar player also doubled in on pedal steel and their super utility man put in time on both acoustic and electric guitar, keyboards and even trumpet.

The set was really well laid out, starting off with some of the higher energy tunes of their recent records that lead into some more of the mellow tunes of prior records. John took the stage by himself to play a few of the instrumental-minimal songs such as 'One Great City!'. The band soon came back up after a few songs and started really getting animated - running around and giving a good high-energy performance. Towards the end of the set, a luck fan got picked out of the crowd and got to play a solo, which I thought was very cool but I'm glad wasn't me.

After an encore, it was the end of our visiting time with The Weakerthans. Truly depressing that they show up to gig Southern California every 2-4 years. We'll be waiting around waiting for a new album or another tour. You know what I'm talking aboot?

San Francisco Part II: Tapas and Russians

2009-07-22T15:13:00.000-07:00

Hi. Bob here with the second and last installment of our San Francisco adventure. As Alison mentioned in her last post, we had purchased funny hats and I decided to wear my Russian Sea Captain hat with dark shades all day... even in the darkest of bars. Looking back I realize it wasn't that cool to do, especially since I was taking pictures of myself at every stop. But, I guess I knew in my heart that there would be a purpose for these pictures and that they would come to some use.

The following pictures will be guest captioned by Vladimr Vlasko, Russian Sea Man.

This park has many people. Much light, yes? Must navigate quiet place.

Yes, we find nice place. Drink now.

Vladimir find women. They will board ship. We adventure the ocean.

The women, they leave to another bar. Vladimir follow.

It now time for eat. We have food like Spaniards. Cured Ham.

The potato of the sea. The clams.

Plate of many wonders. Vladimir not afraid of the unknown.

Vladimir not know what is. Take it away!

Shrimps, they mouse of sea. Small and taste ocean rodents. Yes?

In Russia there many potato. I do not know this sauce. Is insult, this sauce.

Vladimir finish food. Women finish food. We eat like many parade. Dish on table empty.

We go more bar. I like bar here.

This woman Vlad choose. I take her with for set sail. She conquer many bar. Good woman.

Vladimir no like bar at port. Home going no good.

Picaro Cafe

3120 16th St
San Francisco, CA 94103-3328
(415) 431-4089

San Francisco Part I: Monk's Kettle

2009-07-16T14:36:00.001-07:00

It is funny that this is part one, because we didn't visit The Monk's Kettle until Sunday - the last full day of our trip. I guess the first two days failed to be documented because we were too busy enjoying the drink component of our food and drink blog AND singing mash-up karaoke with drag queens. Hey, what do you expect - it's San Francisco, where the only thing that isn't tolerated is intolerance. So, don't judge!

Anyways, on Sunday we had a lunch date with a friend and she suggested The Monk's Kettle. I didn't know it was called The Monk's Kettle until an hour before we arrived. Good thing Jackie called to confirm, or Bob and I would have been sitting in the non-existent Monkeys Wrench. If you haven't guessed already Jackie and I made these plans on Sat. - during the drink component of said food and drink blog.

It was 75 and sunny and Bob and I strolled toward the restaurant in the Mission District. As we got closer and saw more and more cool, city folk passing us by we started feeling inferior. Luckily, we spotted a hat shop and we stopped in to take a gander and citify our look. I walked out with a brown and orange bicycle cap and Bob walked out with a Russian Sea Captain's hat. I don't know if this made us cooler, but Bob insisted it did. You can see for yourself since Bob insisted on wearing the hat, with sunglasses, for every stop - even when we were in a dark bar.

Against all odds we arrived at The Monk's Kettle, met Jackie and sat down for an amazing meal of elevated bar faire and specialty beers.

Monk's isn't a large place, but the food is large as well as the selection of beer. One of their best features is that the good people at Monk's hold your hand through the beer selection process. They pair everything on the food menu with a few selections off the beer menu. How easy!

Bob decided that he would go with something with a little bit of flare - to compliment the flare that is a Russian Sea Captain's hat:

House-ground ‘Premium Gold Natural’ Lamb Burger with lettuce, organic tomatoes, fresh red onions and a cucumber mint tzatziki sauce on a Metropolis sesame bun.

To which the menu suggested one of the following types of beer:

ESB, Belgian Strong Pale or a Weizenbock

So he decided to go with a Weizenstock called 'Aventinus'.

Easy, right?

I, on the other hand decided not to screw around with their stupid pairing decisions. I just went with what I know: poultry.

I had a chicken sandwich and a glass of Old Speckled Hen.

Restaurant Quality Flame

2009-07-15T13:05:00.001-07:00

So, where have we been you ask?

Well, we've still been eating well and having our adventures here at the Tasty Morsel, but we've been a little too busy to write about it on this here 'net. I know we're bad 'bloggers' but when you don't have time, you don't have time.

At least we have a good excuse. We were moving... Alison and I just got a place together. A place with an awesome vintage Wedgewood stove. One that has a 'restaurant-quality flame' as we were told when we were touring the place. It was love at first sight (of the stove that is) and the next morning our 1-yr lease was cooking. We couldn't have been happier thinking that all our meals for the next year we're going to be restaurant quality with that restaurant quality flame.

I think we were most enamored by the griddle, but we quickly found out that cleaning the thing was going to be a pain in the butt. And we also learned pretty quickly that all our meals were not going to be zagat rated - that restaurant quality flame really heats up fast and seconds later we had blackened pancakes for our inaugeural griddle meal. Al really payed the price in the sink with the sponge for my culinary mishap . Oh, the joys of having a live-in girlfriend.

We look forward to using our Wedgewood to it's full extent while cooking and taking pictures to share with you all. We still have to tweak with the thing a bit, but we'll be in good shape shortly. Oh, and we visited San Francisco last weekend, so stories on that to come soon.

In the meantime, enjoy the view from our front window:

Lucero Giggin'

2009-06-09T22:39:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm a little late on this post since things have been pretty busy over here at The Tasty Morsel. Since we got back from the east coast, I can promise you that we've been having tasty culinary adventures, imbibing a bit and generally carrying on. In that time, I've been sitting on writing this article for our gig-going adventures at a few Lucero shows. So, I figured since I'm (Bob) taking time to slow down for a bit while doing a cleansing fast (isn't it funny that I'm slowing down on a fast?).

Let's rewind back to May 14th at Alex's Bar in Long Beach where we caught Lucero. Opening for them was Black Joe Lewis & The Honey Bears who were really something else. They played southern blues with horns. I think there were about 8 dudes in the band. Must be tough when getting paid, although I don't think they're really in it for the money... it's always about the music. With these guys, I would believe that to be true. Watching them is a ton of fun, now I just have to get some of their records to really understand what's going on.

Lucero came on shortly after and played their usual long set, but this time with a few songs that were new to us. The new tunes sounded a wee bit different, a more evolved Lucero. I didn't have my camera with me that night, so I missed the boat on my photography duties.

The second night was on the 15th at the Troubadour. The gig went much the same way. Lucero did pretty much all the new songs from the night before with a bunch of requests mixed in for good measure. The one truly fun thing about Lucero shows is that they'll play almost any request you can throw at them (their own tunes). The gig was packed with a lot of kids and the band was having fun and drinking plenty, a good fuel to a good show. We sat in the back behind the bar where we could sit on our asses and drink $6 Buds. The Troubadour really needs to work on their prices. After the gig, we were able to talk to some of the guys from the band and hang out a bit. They're pretty cool about that and it's always nice to meet the artists that you're into. Hell, they're just people too. Enough of my rambling. Here's a few photos:

Lucero will sometimes pull out the accordion. Do you like accordions?

Here's Ben Nichols. He's lit well, or well lit...

Ben going to get a sip of Jameson (what did we tell you about Lucero coupled with Jameson and Budweiser?)

Eastern Eats: Part III

2009-05-31T14:12:00.001-07:00

Our last day was Sunday and keeping in line with our main objective of the trip (eating and drinking), we had to go out with a bang. Back in Jersey and after a long day of graduation festivities on Saturday we decided it was in order to have a nice brunch and some breakfast drinks to take the edge off.

My Aunt had foreseen that a brunch would be necessary and had made reservations at Langosta Lounge in Asbury Park. The place was in a very scenic location - right on the boardwalk, across the street from the Stone Pony (The Boss's old stomping grounds) and right down the way from the Asbury Park Convention Hall (as seen in 'The Wrestler'). It was a grey, rainy day but that only added to the character of this town that has gone from nice, to seedy, to nice again throughout the years. Thanks in part to the current redevelopment that is going on, we found ourselves walking into a bright, airy and eclectic restaurant to feast on brunch fare with a lobster twist.

The menu had a lot to choose from - everything from Stuffed French Toast to Eggs Marion, which was poached eggs on an english muffin topped with asparagus and lobster. All the dishes sounded new and exciting, but I finally settled on Papusas and Garlic Shrimp and Bob went for the Lobster Enchiladas. For the table we got an order of the Lobster Mac and Cheese that had come highly recommended by my aunt.

The service was kind of slow, but we didn't really mind because we had Mango Mimosas and some of the best Bloody Mary's that we had ever tasted to tide us over. Plus, the Lobster Mac came out pretty quickly and went down even quicker. It was a tasty blend of creamy artisan cheeses, sweet lobster meat and Garden State fresh peppers, corn and tomato. We all decided that a few bites of this Langosta delicacy were not enough and promptly ordered another round.

After the Lobster Mac had come and gone from my life I felt comforted by the fact that I still had my Papusas to look forward to. When they were finally placed in front of me, I cut into the little cornmeal cake stuffed with cheese and lovingly placed one of the tender, white wine marinated shrimps on top and prepared my taste buds for landing. I was not disappointed - it was like my little food plane exploded with exotic flavor. After that first bite the Papusas disappeared pretty quickly, almost like they had vanished into thin air.

Bob's food took a little longer to arrive, so everyone at the table decided that they would share a bit of their plates with Bob. I think he had a bit of everyone's food before his Lobster Enchiladas arrived. Being half-full, it took him a bit of time to finish his plate, but sure enough he had polished his plate off in his normal fashion. I know it was good because he didn't really say much in between bites, probably because he had a lot of catching up to do.

Although we were all stuffed, someone at the table insisted upon dessert. Bread Pudding and a scoop of ice cream. Even though I was very full, I can attest that dessert was well worth it.

After dining, we headed back to my Aunt's house to sleep away our food-induced grogginess and prepare for heaven on earth: Kelly's Reuben Sandwiches. After completing our naps and making an effort to create a new hunger, we headed back to Kelly's (our favorite Neptune bar). We sat in the corner and ordered our beers and sandwiches. We also started off with some Potato soup which was damn fine. Now it was sandwich time. You can either have a half Reuben or a full Reuben. For a normal person, a half is more than enough. Bob and I split a full. When the Reuben arrived at the table, everyone's eyes lit up at the giant mound of cheese, underneath which lay a plentiful amount of corned beef and rye bread. Between sips of beer and mouthfuls of Reuben deliciousness, we began to reach the limits of what our stomaches could take. Full from brunch, but unrelenting in pleasing our palates with delicious sandwich goodness, we pushed on. Needless to say that we came up a little short in our efforts to clean our plates. Defeated, stuffed and weary we knew that a trip back to Kelly's would be necessary next time we are in Jersey in order to avenge our appetites for the most delicious Reuben in the states.

Well, that wraps up our trip. The next day we waddled onto the plane. Luckily, we both still could fit in one seat.

Eastern Eats: Part II

2009-05-30T16:51:00.000-07:00

On the second day of our trip exploring the traditions, foods, people, cultures, history, architecture, sites, music, flora and fauna of the eastern region of this great country we packed up the car and headed to Pennsylvania. We had been to Pennsylvania before and were excited to return. How could you not like the state that is home to steel, Scranton, City Tavern, The Liberty Bell, the Amish, Yuengling, and many universities (we passed a zillion en route from Jersey to our point of destination). Although there were many universities, we had a special one in mind that we wanted to visit- West Chester University in West Chester, Pennsylvania. This is because in West Chester was my phantom cousin, Kelly, the only person in my family Bob had yet to meet and this cousin was the reason for our trip - she was graduating from college!

When we got to West Chester, home to everyone's favorite Jackass (no it's not Bob) Bam Margera, we checked into our hotel. Kelly came over soon after with an 18-pack of beer and with that simple gesture, she endeared herself to Bob. So, we talked, drank and readied ourselves for steppin' out on the town.

The first stop was Iron Hill Brewing Co. located in this quaint little college town. Food and more beer time! The interior of the restaurant was nice and dark with some pretty cool paintings on the walls. Seated right by the kitchen, we could see plenty of action, as well as, some of the dishes that were being prepared. We were actually surprised by what they had on the menu since we had a preconceived notion that the place was going to only be bar fare due to the fact that the place was a brewery.

They had plenty of Iron Hill beers on tap in a wide variety: Lagers, Stouts, IPA, etc. Although we love beer, we didn't really get into doing a tasting and comparison of each other's beers due to the fact we were already a little fueled up from the aforementioned case of beer at the hotel. We were hungry and were pleased when our appetizers arrived. Calamari with a cilantro cream sauce and teriyaki chicken wraps.

The calamari was nice and crispy with an amazing sauce that neither of us had encountered before. Bob had his fair share, as calamari is one of his favorite tasty morsels. The wraps were also really good as the lettuce and other veggies were nice and fresh (maybe right off the wagon from Lancaster). Along with the teriyaki sauce, there was a peanut-based sauce that added a delicious twist.

I ordered the Swordfish with Herb Aioli and Bob ordered the Pork Tenderloin Medallions. The swordfish was fresh with a lemon pepper crust and the aioli added a nice kick. Coupled with the fish was Potato Croquets and a bed of peppers and onions. Delish!

I'm not a huge fan of pork, but Bob is a connoisseur of our little curly tailed friend so he was fired up when his large serving of Pork Tenderloin Medallions appeared in front of him. He stared down lovingly at his stack of breaded pork covered with a delicate sauce of corn, potato and other diced goodies and dove right in. I could tell Bob's food must have been pretty good since he was doing a lot of chewing with his eyes closed while making noises of a foodie in bliss. Oink, oink!

After dinner it was time for a nightcap or ten. Right as we came out of the front door of the restaurant, we spied a seemingly authentic Irish bar named Kildare's. We like Irish-themed bars, so we didn't hesitate and crossed the street like any Irish people would who knew a fine pint and some spirits were a few feet away - quickly!

Kildare's had a true Irish look, mimicking that of a Pub you would find in the heart of Ireland. The bar, seating, walls, etc. all were made up of a dark wood that looked as if it were shipped in from Ireland years ago. I was impressed with the décor, they even used gaelic on the front window to let any wayward Irishman know that Kildare's was an establishment where he would be at home. I had an Irish coffee to get going again, since I was near food coma and Bob enjoyed a handful of Guinnesses. Kelly, Bob and myself found ourselves settling in and looking forward to an evening of drinking and conversing in our little corner of the little pub.

As we sat and talked while waiting for Kelly's boyfriend, we noticed that a lot of young people were entering the bar. The kind of people that were looking for a party. The kind of people that didn't look like they were just heading in for some Guinness and warm conversation. People that didn't look like they were entering Kildare's to enjoy it's authentic look and feel. These people were there to grind uglies and listen to horrible music. Alas, the authenticity of Kildare's was slipping away. From Irish bar to obnoxious college kids dance party, we were all heartbroken. Shortly after, we found out the place was one of many Kildare's in a chain of these faux-pubs. We were fooled. Bamboozled. Hoodwinked. This was not an Irish bar. It was a front for sweaty dance parties that used the guise and goods of Ireland to trap unsuspecting barflies like ourselves to spend money during the early evening when the dance floor was empty.

How did we get home that night? Well I'm glad you asked, my cousin sent us off on a drunk van with all the liquored up college kids, lovingly provided by Kildare's well after 2am. How was the graduation the next morning at 9am? Well, that's a stupid question - you all know the answer to that one.

Tunesday: Lucero

2009-05-12T18:05:00.000-07:00

Well, it's that time of year where Lucero comes to town. Definitely one of our favorite bands to see and indulge plenty of booze while watching them go off. Lucero is from Tennessee and they combine a bit of a country feel with some blazing rockin'. It's hard to explain or express the awesomeness of seeing these guys live, but the gravelly voice of Ben Nichols and the tone of Brian's guitar tell it all alongside with lyrics about drinking and women, you can't go wrong.

We'll be seeing them twice this week and enjoying it. See you out there.

Here's a clip from one of their DVD's that gives you a good glimpse of what they're all about.

Eastern Eats: Part I

2009-05-10T20:42:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we were in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Before you say, 'Oh, I'm sorry', let us just set you straight - New Jersey is awesome once you get past the concrete, industrial jungle of Newark, which is, often times, all people have to base their judgement upon. People heading to New York on business, or for pleasure, fly into Newark Int'l Airport take one look around, assume that what they see is representative of the whole state and then go forward to propagate the myth that Jersey is somehow inferior to whatever square state they're coming from. Well, let us just say we're from Los Angeles and we would hope that visitors would not assume that the whole state is like the city of Compton, if that happened to be the first thing they saw. After spending much time in the Garden State and especially after this trip, we are convinced people put Jersey down because they are threatened by it. Jersey has gorgeous beaches, quaint towns, amazing food and breeds some of the world's finest talent (Meryl Streep, Jack Nicholson, Bruce Springsteen, etc.).

The reason for our journey east was for Alison's Cousin's graduation and her Nana's 80th birthday. We flew in on a Thursday and when we arrived at her grandparent's house we were weary and in need of sustenance. See, our flight was fine (despite the swine flu frenzy and the fact that if you so much as sniffled people looked at you like you were a leper), but our shuttle to the Jersey shore was long, very long. There is really no other way to describe it, other than to say our driver was just stupid and it took him about 45 minutes to do a head count before we could even leave the airport.

All was forgotten, however, the moment we stepped foot into Al's Grandparent's house and smelled the feast laid out in front of us from Pete and Elda's: pizza, New England clam chowder and Italian chopped salad. We would argue that the pizza in New Jersey is the best. It's like eating cheese and crackers, and who doesn't like cheese and crackers? Many people from New Jersey and New York have migrated west and brought thin crust pizza with them, but it is just not the same. It must be something in the water because when you hold up a piece of thin crust pizza in L.A. it is limp and flops over like a you-know-what. When you hold up a piece of Pete and Elda's pizza it is erect, well, like a you-know-what. A piece of Pete and Elds's pie is perfect; thin, crispy crust, a light smathering of sauce and perked up with some sausage and pepper. If you never get to Jersey for some cheese and crackers, you leave us no choice but to call you a mook. You mook!

Shortly after we devoured our first meal upon our arrival east, we decided it was time to wash it down with some delicious beverages at our favorite watering hole: Kelly's Tavern. We fell in love with Kelly's on our first visit to Jersey due to their amazing bar and delicious open-faced Reuben sandwich (more on that later). Kelly's was founded by an Irish family and is very heavily decorated with an Irish flare. Right up our alley. They have an amazingly long wooden bar that looks like something you would find when visiting a pub on the Emerald Isle. Well, despite the bar being long and expansive, the service is remarkable. From the moment you order a beer, to the moment it arrives in front of you, there is hardly a moment to develop a thirst. Not only are their servers quick, but they're also pretty entertaining.

Our bartender personally took it upon himself to school us on the proper pronunciation of Smithwick's. 'Smiddicks' he would yell, 'Smiddicks!' Then he would go to each of us and make sure we said it correctly... there's no time to press your tongue against your teeth when thirsty at Kelly's.

Our bartender also took a shine to Al's Uncle when he found out that he was born and raised in Jersey and visiting from California. 'That's my BOY!' our bartender yelled, when Al's Uncle expressed his happiness to be back in Jersey.

As time drew closer to closing time, Al's Dad decided that it would be a good idea to have an Irish Car Bomb. See, Al's Dad was unaware of what a Car Bomb was, but when he saw the fun a group of guys were having while pounding their drinks, he decided that he should indulge in the fun too. Al's Dad and I raised our glasses and tipped them toward the ceiling in honor of his first bomb and our trip to Joisey. We downed our Guinness, Irish whiskey and Bailey's blend, although half of mine ended up on my shirt.

Next up... Pennsylvania delicious dishes and an Irish Pub that turned dance party.

Tunesday: Schaefer

2009-05-05T14:31:00.000-07:00

Normally I like to put up a band that I think is worth sharing due to their great musical prowess, message and presence. Today I am going commercial. A great commercial with a great message... and even a pretty good jingle.

While back on the East Coast, Alison's Dad and Uncle started talking about an old beer ad they remember when they were growing up. Suddenly Alison's Dad starts into song, followed in harmony by her Uncle. Not only was I amazed that the two were singing an old beer commercial, but that this was the tag line sang in the song: "The beer to have when you're having more than one."

Judgement Day: Part II

2009-04-25T14:53:00.000-07:00

Time for the second installment of our Eastertini (Easter Themed Martini) Contest which took place at Alison's Aunt Marci's house on Easter Sunday. If you haven't already, it would be a good idea to check out part one and see the first round results for the sour martinis.

The second round consisted of martinis that were sweet. We originally had two entries in this category, but there was a late entry so we had three, which was nice since it evened out with the prior round. The first martini we tasted was called 'Co-co Ca-banana' which is a great name since the martini itself had hints of cocoa and banana (keep in mind that the naming was part of the judging for the creativity category). The martini glass itself was garnished beautifully with chocolate and strawberry syrup on the inside of the glass and the rim was lined with rainbow sprinkles. Very well executed. I think if children were allowed to drink alcoholic beverages, this would be quite a winner with the 5-8 year-old demographic. I kid, I don't think that children should be drinking booze that young, but the child in me did enjoy this martini for it's many levels of creativity, color, flavor and sweetness.

Co-co Ca-banana

The next entry was called 'Jittery Egg'. Aptly named due to the fact it was a coffee-based martini and the rim of the glass was lined with halves of chocolate eggs which were adhered to the glass with chocolate. Another cool twist was the glass was lined with a light-green frosting. Talk about eye candy. The taste of the martini was pretty straight-forward, but when mixed with a bite of the chocolate eggs, you knew it was Easter and it was a martini. Well-played.

Jittery Egg

The final entry was the late entry - a last minute creation called 'Brown Sugar'. Unfortunately for this martini, it was standing up to the two prior martinis we had tasted. Two martinis which were pre-planned and had some pretty diligent thought and pre-prep to them. That said, this martini was still flavorful but strong. It would be a good bar martini rather than the two prior which were more along the lines of novelty martinis.

Brown Sugar

Judgement time came swiftly. Although, I think we forgot to mention in the prior post that not only were the judges making the decision, but all in attendance had a chance to pick their favorite martini of each round. So on top of the judges point total, each martini had the number of favorite picks from the crowd added to their point total. The "people's choice" was the real difference in the race for the best sweet martini. By judges' votes, the 'Co-co Ca-banana' had 21 points and the 'Jittery Egg' had 22 points. Once the "people's choice" votes were added, the 'Jittery Egg' was the runaway winner with a total of 29 points, which we found out was created by none other than our host, Grandpa Marc (Aunt Marci).

We can't wait until next year and hopefully the stakes will be raised, we'll have more entries and we'll have a sweeter, boozier and even more creative contest.

Grandpa Marc's Moment of Glory

Judgement Day: Part I

2009-04-20T21:11:00.001-07:00

We awoke early Easter morning to the sounds of preachers preaching, due to the fact that the T.V. was left on the night before. This was the appetizer for our main course, 11 A.M. Easter mass. For buffet Catholics like ourselves, that pick and choose when to go to church, Easter is one of those days that you must attend services to praise the Lord.

Our wholesome Easter ended abruptly the moment we entered out host, Grandpa Marc's (Alison's Aunt) house. We came with a 12-pack meant to refine our senses (of taste and reason) and prepare us for the objective of the day; to determine which martini would rise in glory to be crowned king, or queen, and save us from the colored, boiled egg that is Easter mediocrity.

Before we rolled away the stone and entered into the tomb of Eastertini judgment, we had to break bread with our fellow disciples of food and drink. It was quite a spread for our last sustenance before the long, hard path that we knew we would have to walk as judges in order to find martini salvation. But yes, before salvation comes salivation: ham, teriyaki chicken, fruit salad, Chinese chicken salad, fried rice and rolls.

The objective of the Eastertini Contest was to create a martini that resembled the colors and flavors of Easter. Contestants could submit a martini to one, or both categories of sweet or sour. We at The Tasty Morsel judged based on the predetermined criterion of: appearance, flavor, potency, creativity and resurrection. Contestants remained anonymous and we sipped beers while the sour martinis were assembled inside. For the sour category there were three strong (no pun intended) entries. The first entry resembled, in appearance and taste, a treat reminiscent of childhood, the "Bomb Pop". The second entry was the complex (in flavor, texture and presentation) "Shoot the Bunny". At the bottom of the martini was a jello shot with a swizzle stick implanted in it. The stick was adorned with blueberries and bunny ears carved out of lemon zest. The last entry was made with white rum that was dyed purple and packed a mighty punch. It was called "Lavender Peeps" after the favorite Easter candy that the contestant had perched atop yet another swizzle stick. That must have been one drunk chick ( and no, I'm not talking about Alison).

Otter Pop / Bomb Pop

Shoot The Bunny

Lavender Peeps

And the winner of the sour martinis......Grandpa Marc's "Shoot the Bunny"!

Now we judged both rounds back to back with no break, that's right six martinis in a row. We, however, are professionals and would not want our readership to "overdo it", so you will just have to check back to find our which delectable Martini garnered a whopping 29 points to win the sweet category.

Tunesday: The Underground Railroad to Candyland

2009-04-14T11:56:00.000-07:00

From the producers of F.Y.P and Toys that Kill comes a new band. They said they couldn't make it any bigger, stronger or faster, but they did. For what do we deserve this musical juggernaut? Time has yet to tell, but let's peer into the musical labyrinth that is 'The Underground Railroad to Candyland' shall we?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FL8MuKnPzZ0

Indeed it looks like the end times have befallen upon mankind. With what force of nature can such aural force be combatted? With the titans no longer with us, we cannot look to Godzilla, Kong or Mothra. Even the elusive Cthulhu is no match. I beg of you to enjoy what is left of your life, there is no one and no thing that can save us from what it 'The Underground Railroad to Candyland'.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpO6o4e2CTI

A Fraiche Four Years

2009-03-30T21:55:00.000-07:00

This weekend we celebrated our anniversary and to celebrate we did what any good food bloggers would do; we stepped out for a culinary adventure.

Fraiche is located in downtown Culver City amongst many now trendy restaurants and trendy people. As we parked and made our way toward the restaurant, I reassured Bob that the food was worth overcoming the hipster scene (Bob sort of is allergic to people in tight jeans and Ray-Ban eyeglasses). We got there a little early to have a pre-dinner cocktail. I had the Fraiche Fizz (Vodka, Champagne, Essence of Cucumber and something else) and Bob had the old stand-by (Jameson and Soda). We sat at the bar for a while and drank our drinks and took in our surroundings. Nothing earth-shattering, just typical L.A.; exposed brick, a wait staff that probably got the job after wandering off the Sony lot a block away and a clientele that talked "actor's strike" in between bites of spicy arugula and homemade mozzarella salad. What did impress us, however, was that they had Stone beers on tap and an open kitchen armed with a gang of chefs in white coats and red bandannas (we wouldn't mind being jumped into that gang).

Fraiche, which is pronounced 'fresh' has a name that really reflects the food. Yes, the food is fresh, but that is not where I am going with this. It is a fancy name that looks complicated, but actually has a familiar and comfortable pronunciation. As soon as you open the menu and hear the specials you realize that the food is sophisticated comfort food with a French and Italian twist.

For our appetizer we ordered the short rib raviolis and for our entrees I ordered the Lamb Spezzatino, which came with ricotta gnocchi and geremolata. Bob ordered the Duck Confit, which came with Italian black rice. Being the lovers of drink that we are, we wanted to order a bottle of wine, but not spend $100. Being the class acts that we are, we asked the waitress to suggest the cheapest, but still tasty, wine that would pair well with our dishes. She recommended a Spanish wine, Petalos, that was smooth (just like our four year relationship) and cost only $40 (unfortunately I have cost Bob way more than that).

I had been here before, but this was Bob's first time so I'll let his virgin tongue do the rest of the talking.

The joint had the usual uppity feel, although there's nothing wrong with that. Everyone needs to feel like they've got some kind of money to spend sometimes. The bar was tiny and tucked in the corner, but hell, we weren't there to sit at the bar, we were there to treat ourselves to some delicious chow.

Upon sitting down, we were greeted with an awesome bread plate. The plate consisted of two different kinds of bread tucked nicely into a napkin. The breads hung out of the napkin, almost like small bread children who have been tucked snugly into their bed for a night's rest. Too bad the only dreams that would befall these little breadlings was a nice layer of olive tapenade and a meeting with our bellies. Sweet dreams and bready-bye.

Time for the short rib raviolis. I've never had ribs encased in pasta pockets, but I had a hunch it was going to be quite delicious. When the plate arrived, we were greeted with little raviolis that looked similar to flying saucers from those old library books about UFO's. The only thing extra-terrestrial about these little guys was their flavor. All I know is that they were so tender that my knife met no resistance in cutting them and they were bursting with the kind of flavor that makes you shut off all other senses. As I ate, I found myself with eyes closed and ears deaf to my surroundings. I've heard that some meetings with alien life results in loss of memory and anal probing, but I can guarantee that I do remember this divine encounter and my buttocks was left unmolested.

My little pasta pals were out of this world

Alison's order was the same thing she's had the last three times she's been to Fraiche. I tried a bit, but I was already hypnotized by my dish, so I couldn't focus on the flavors of Alison's Fraiche go-to. I figure that since there were so many awesome dishes on the menu and Alison has opted for the same thing every time she's been there, it must be good.

Third time's a charm

My duck was definitely the highlight of the night. Meat so tender that my knife was just an accessory. The meat slipped cleanly off the bone like nothing I've ever seen before. A bite of the duck with the black rice and a little of the balsamic reduction and I was in heaven. The food and wine went down quite easily and I was left full and content. Although with the level of content that my Fraiche meal had left me, there came a desire. A desire to return again. A desire to taste more of what Fraiche has to offer. I'm thinking the sweetbread and pasta dish may be next. I think it's safe to say that dining on thymus glands doesn't sound that exciting, but I'm sure that Fraiche knows how to make eating them a thrill.

Fin.

Fraiche Restaurant

9411 Culver Blvd.

Culver City, CA 90232

Tongue and Head Tacos

2009-03-29T14:23:00.000-07:00

Anyone for tongue and head tacos?

As I've gotten older, I've become more prone to trying out a lot of types of food that most would tend to steer clear of. In the past couple of years, I've come to acquire a taste for octopus, shrimp heads, urchin and other tasty treats found at some of my favorite sushi places. One thing I've never tried but have been very curious about is some of the more bizarre meats served at some mexican restaurants.

Lengua (tongue), Cabeza (head) and Seso (brain) have been tasting goals of mine for a while now, but I haven't had the opportunity to find any of these alternate meats since most of the Mexican places I frequent don't have these on the menu. Well, that changed when we visited Taqueria la Mexicana in Long Beach last night.

Taqueria la Mexicana is a small taco stand tucked away in a Long Beach neighborhood, where I bet the neighbors are constantly hungry due to the delicious smell of fresh Mexican food wafting from the joint. Alison wasn't too courageous and went with an Asada Tostada, I on the other hand, hooked myself up with a Lengua Taco, a Cabeza Taco and an Asada Burrito with the works. When I received the Lengua and Cabeza tacos, I couldn't tell which was which since I've never seen either of the meats before, but I figured that the tongue was the lickable little meat cube with, well, the tongue like texture. Taqueria la Mexicana uses a really potent green sauce on their tacos that packs a hell of a spice-filled punch, so within the taco itself, there was not a clear taste to the tongue or head meat. The texture, however, was much different than I was accustomed to. Both were very tender and buttery, not tough at all. I think I liked the lengua a little more since it was less fatty and had a bit of a more familiar, firmer consistency. I found both of the new meats to be very interesting, but I'm glad I opted to have them as tacos. I don't think I liked them enough, or are accustomed to them enough, to commit to a whole burrito full of tongue or head meat. I did however back up my tacos with an Asada Burrito, which was a damn fine burrito that was packed with flavor from the spices, onions rice and company. Definitely worth going back for.

Sopes

Alison had finished her tostada and saw that they had Sopes on the menu, so she headed back to grab one. I think that may have been the most delicious $2.50 investment of the night. I've never had Sopes before, but I'm glad Alison got one because I was treated to a small mountain of asada, sour cream, tomatoes, lettuce and sauce on a base of what seemed like a fried tortilla. Damn good.

Mouth's view of an Asada Burrito

Taqueria La Mexicana

3270 E. 4th St

Long Beach, CA

Sausage Party

2009-03-22T18:35:00.000-07:00

Do you ever find yourself slightly hungover and thinking about rabbit and snake sausage? On Saturday morning this is exactly where we found our stomaches and thoughts wandering. Lucky for us, we didn't have to do in the Easter Bunny ourselves because there exists an exotic sausage restaurant right in downtown L.A.

Wurstüche is not the easiest place to find. We had tried to go there before for some serious sausage eating, but were met with much opposition. It was a Monday night, which is just a stupid night, and on the way there our Garmin™ malfunctioned and we got lost in the land of one way streets. The combination of being hungry, lost and having the Monday blues had put us in a pretty foul mood by the time we finally found the joint. We were greeted by a long line and the prospect of having nowhere to sit, not to mention the fact, that the place was stuffed full of scenesters (a.k.a. one giant scenester sausage). So we left with our sausages between our legs and did not return until this Saturday.

We headed up to L.A. with our friend Brandon to buy a variety of sausages that we were going to cook ourselves for our sausage party. We decided to have a sausage party with our friends because what's a good sausage if you can't share it with someone. This time we found the place pretty easily and parked right in front of the iconic Crazy Gideon's (get your used electronics here).

We had planned to just get the sausages and leave, but while we were in line Brandon started roaming around and discovered that they had opened up a large bar and dining area in the back. Always thirsty, we headed into the bar to sample some German and Belgian bier. We didn't really know what we wanted and our bartender was super helpful. I told her I liked IPA's and she recommended the Houblanchouffe, which was light and slightly sweet. Bob got the Koestritzer Schwarzbler which was a dark, sweet and malty beer. They say you can tell a lot about someone by the beer they order and Brandon ordered the Abentinus which was intense and complex and also came in a glass with phallic similarities. While we were at the bar the bartender and one of the owners, Tyler Wilson, were super personable and helpful and were more than happy to give us recommendations and samples.

After a couple of beers we headed back into the line of people waiting to get stuffed, which was twice as long, but we didn't mind this time because we had a couple of beers in us and some refreshing cucumber water. After our wait in line came to an end, we were ready to order. We figured that 8 of their exotic sausages would be enough to at least meet the minimum capacity for a sausage party, if not go over the maximum occupancy and send the sausage elevator crashing to the ground. We got exotic with the following beautiful sausages:

Roasted Red Pepper & Corn

Green Chillies & Cilantro

Austin Blues

Apricot

Duck & Bacon with Jalapeño Peppers

Rattlesnake & Rabbit with Jalapeño Peppers

Bockwurst

Mango Jalapeño

With a bag full of exotic tube steaks and a great party ahead of us, we headed back to the apartment to embark on a sausage fest. In attendance were Cooper, Brandon, Melissa, Alex and ourselves. Armed with a few cases of beer, a sufficient amount of Jameson and our appetites, we were ready to get exotic on some meat. With Bob at the grill pan laying down the sausage and preparing some peppers and onions the party was underway.

For the sake of brevity, everyone ended up consuming plenty of tubed meat which resulted in moans of pleasure from the mastication of strong and savory flavors overcoming the palette of the revelers at the sausage party. None in attendance had any complaints about being stuffed with meat, for most it was their first time dancing with rattlesnake and rabbit. In the consumption of both predator and prey in one divine sausage, the party had reached the sublime and all in attendance were launched into the Dionysian celebration of food and drink.

Feelin' Stoney

2009-03-22T14:11:00.000-07:00

We all have that person in our life that is arrogant, bold, abrasive, in-your-face, makes you drink too much, but for some reason you just can't get enough of. Stone in North San Diego is the brewery equivalent of that person. Every time we head south to San Diego (usually en route to the Casbah) we have to stop for a pint, or five. With beers that have alcohol contents of 6, 7 and 8 % their flavors can best be described as a punch to the mouth. Would you expect anything else from an ale called 'Arrogant Bastard'? Stone beers are not for amateurs.

Stone's well crafted and delicious beers are not the kind you would indulge in on a heavy night of drinking. These are beers with flavor, body and long winded tasting notes, so you know it's bound to be good. We've been to Stone quite a few times now, done the tour of the brewery, the tasting, the whole 9 yards. You could say we're a couple of stoners. Getting into the taste, subtleties and description of beer is something that I find to be wholly subjective and ineffective, so I'll spare you the hassle of trying to taste with your mind. That's why God gave us tongues.

Connected to the brewery is a restaurant / bar and their food is not for the weak either, being that many of the dishes feature stone beers as one of the ingredients. We usually just have appetizers, being careful not to reverse the all-important pre-Casbah buzz. Our favorite appetizers are the Mushroom Pillows. These little guys are dreamily delicious mushrooms stuffed with jalapeños and cream cheese that live in a crisp little home made of dough. The perfect home for the explosion of tasty goodness. I wish I had a home made of dough where I would let mushroom and jalapeño live in harmony and free from the gawkers opinions of their sultry love triangle with cream cheese. Other tasty morsels they have include the Spud Buds, deep fried mashed potato balls, and the Homemade Hummus.

Stone not only offers a delicious feast for the hungry, as well as, nectar of life for the thirsty, they also provide a playground for the eyes. Their facility is very uniquely designed from their high ceilings with floating beer displays, to their outside dining area with blooming garden, fireplaces and pond. They even have a gift shop, which we took advantage of on this visit. This time we picked up a couple of pint glasses and beers which would soon fill said pint glasses. When we got home we noticed that there was a warning sticker on the bottoms of the glasses:

Some materials used in the color decorations on this glass contain lead which are known to the state of California to cause cancer, birth defects and other reproductive harm.

So it looks like our enjoyment of Stone products will not only leave us with hangovers and bad livers but cancer and sterility. No big.

Tim Barry Weekend

2009-03-15T20:08:00.001-07:00

"I write standard, boring songs with standard, boring chords...", but Tim Barry's music is anything but standard. It is not easy to write songs that cover topics like friends that have passed, gentrification, and hopping freight trains in a way that you understand the complexity of his messages and experiences yet can still party, drink a beer and sing along with fists in air.

Like people in general there are a lot of musicians that just don't seem approachable, but Tim is the exact opposite. Tim needs his fans; he needs his fans to have a drink and a smoke with and he needs his fans' energy when he is on stage. The louder and more excited the audience gets the better Tim plays. When you are at a Tim Barry show you really feel what music is supposed to be; a shared experience between musician and audience.

This weekend Josh Small, Tim's long time touring mate and friend, called him 'Papa Barry' and it stuck with us because, yes, Tim's band is family (Josh and usually sister Caitlin) and once you go to one of his shows you feel the same. Tim and Josh always seem to recognize your face and are more than happy to bullshit about music, the tour, etc. The other fans also feel like family. Over the years, you start to see the same faces and at every show you are likely to make friends. After the show at the Casbah, in San Diego, on Friday we partied well into the night with a couple we met during Tim's set.

On Saturday the gig was at Alex's Bar in Long Beach, a venue very close to home, and we brought friends who have never seen Tim Barry perform before. They had much of the same experience we had when we first saw Tim at Alex's Bar years ago and so it happens... Tim's family continues to grow.

The other great thing about Tim is the musicians he surrounds himself with. On this tour Tim brought along Josh Small and Austin Lucas. As we mentioned before, we have known Josh for awhile since he has been on many tours with Tim. Josh has a really strong voice and usually switches between banjo and steel guitar. He also backs Tim with vocals and guitar during a handful of Tim's songs which really adds a great depth to the music.

Austin Lucas, who was also on the bill, is a musician we'd never really heard too much about besides a few tracks that Suburban Home Records had put out online. This guy's a real talent. He possesses a great voice, some crazy guitar skills and lyrics that are strikingly well-written. Needless to say, after seeing him we spent some time at the merch table stocking up on Austin's records.

We had a hell of a weekend watching these guys play music and sitting down to write this post is depressing since we won't be able to have this kind of fun until the next time Tim and crew come back to town.

Heading South and fueling up on Sandwich Saloon

Tim had some technical problems so he just hopped into the crowd and played

Mr. Josh Small

Austin Lucas

An Open Letter to Guy Fieri

2009-03-13T12:27:00.000-07:00

Dear Mr. Fieri,

I remember first watching Diners, Drive-ins and Dives and really enjoying your show a lot since you get to cruise all over the U.S. eating and drinking awesome stuff. The only thing that I am taken aback by is that you have a mid-90's OC-bro vibe going on with your style. The bleached hair, uniquely groomed facial hair, permanent sunglasses, etc. aren't helping your credibility.

They say we eat with our eyes. Well, I think the same would go for who we take culinary advice and opinions from. I know you are going for the young and hip look, but you're about 10 years too late with your style. It's hard to listen to a dude who's always looking like he's returning from a frat party at Orange Coast College.

Would you take dining advice from these dudes?

I know you have great taste in obscurely awesome culinary adventures, and I envy what you get to do on your show, but please leave behind your youth and the wardrobe that you have managed to preserve for over ten years.

I beg you Mr. Fieri, please stop dressing like the Peter Pan of Orange County. Your credibility is waning and I want to see you succeed. I think you have some great recipes and would probably be a fun guy to have a drink with, but just step aside from yourself and look what people are likening you to:

I hope you will understand that change is good and necessary for us all and that you should consider my advice. Guy, I don't want you to be a perma-bro or a fat little kid with spikey hair. I want you to be successful for years to come in both your culinary and entertainment career. I think you host a good show and are entertaining. Just ditch the whole look you have going on for yourself. I beg of you. You don't want to be remembered as the chef with bad fashion. Mario Batali already is a step ahead of you, albeit a small one.

Only you can prevent yourself from being 'that bro-dude' on the food channel. Oh, and the T.G.I. Friday's thing isn't helping your credibility either.

Sincerely Yours,

The Tasty Morsel

Tunesday: Tim Barry

2009-03-10T11:57:00.000-07:00

We here at The Tasty Morsel have a pretty good weekend to look forward to. This weekend one of our favorite musicians to see live is performing a couple of shows in our area, and that means we get to travel around a little bit, chow some food in a bit of a different area and have some drinks.

We have a handful of musicians that we try to see every time they are in town. These artists are all from out of state, so we usually only get the chance to see them once or twice a year if we're lucky.

This weekend, Tim Barry will be in town. Tim Barry is from Richmond, Virginia and is also the singer for the now-on-hiatus Avail. We first heard about Tim's music a handful of years ago when he was opening for Drag the River. I think at that point he was performing with Josh Small on guitar and banjo and his sister, Caitlin on fiddle. There were a handful of songs that caught our ear and turned us into fans that night, but I think the one that really got me fired up was 'One Quick Minute'. Really Awesome song writing.

So, this year, we'll be down in San Diego then to Long Beach to enjoy two Tim Barry shows. It looks like he'll be playing with Austin Lucas and Josh Small, and from what I've heard is that the show will not be in sets, but will be all three artists sharing the stage on each other's songs.

Since we are going down to San Diego, this gives us the opportunity to write about a few drinking and eating establishments that we run into along the way. So in tow with seeing Tim Barry (Alison's 'boyfriend' as she likes to call him) we also get to find a few new places to eat and drink at, then write about said eating and drinking. How Productive.

Here's Tim Barry Performing one of my favorites:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rMCGoALAds

Foodtography

2009-03-08T20:20:00.000-07:00

How come the food in commercials, or on packages always looks so tantalizing? You could have a piece of fecal matter on a stick and if photographed properly it would look like the most delectable fudge brownie you've ever seen. So was the case when we went to the grocery store for fixens' for burgers, turkey burgers that is. Everyone knows that turkey burgers are not the real thing, but we're trying to eat healthy in order to bring you "The Tasty Morsel" well into 2050. We purchased the patties and noticed that Jennie-O was really making a strong effort to make turkey burgers seem just as satisfying as a Quarter Pounder with Chee.

This got us thinking about the world of Foodtography and we set out in this meal to prove that foodtography can make the same turkey burger either look orgasmic, or anti-climatic.

Brunchin' at the Top

2009-03-08T20:13:00.000-07:00

Breakfast for under a Lincoln

a tasty morsel...

and a view.

Our Sunday mornings have really come a long way...

Tunesday: Munly and the Lee Lewis Harlots

2009-03-04T09:52:00.000-08:00

A day late, but not a dollar short on this one since you don't pay us for this.

I found out about Munly and the Lee Lewis Harlots about 5 years ago when I had to review their record for a 'zine I write for. The least I could say about it was that I was completely blown away by what I heard and I made sure to keep a copy of the album for myself.

The lead singer, Jay Munly, had really deep vocal range and when he hits the low notes, it's downright scary. Couple that with upright bass / bass cello, fiddles and female backups that there you have Munly & the Lee Lewis Harlots.

I guess to some they are in the genre of Goth Country, but to me they're in the genre of awesome. Have a look.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ow7akIhwcGE

Man, Are My Potatoes Stuffed

2009-03-02T20:53:00.000-08:00

On Sunday night Bob was commissioned to cook a gourmet meal for a 6oth birthday party. It was an intimate party of four and the host and hostess asked Bob to develop the menu for the evening. Bob waited until Sunday morning to decide what to cook and being that Saturday night was spent with friends drinking Jameson and soda, we let our hangover guide our selections. It should come as no surprise then that we settled on the fancy version of a burger and fries; flank steak (red meat= hangover cure) with chimichurri, stuffed potatoes and a mozzarella salad.

Actually, I have a confession to make, the private party Bob was cooking for was actually his parents and I. It was, however, really his Dad's birthday and Bob likes to cook for his parents' b-days in lieu of going to the mall and buying them gifts (who ever knows what to buy their parents anyway?).

Let me now delve further into the menu. The potatoes were stuffed with adult goodies (no, not those kind of goodies), appealing to both the traditional yet eclectic palate like; sour cream, horseradish, sauteed garlic, onions, bacon, jalapeño, avocado and pepper jack cheese.

The flank steak was marinated simply with just olive oil, salt and pepper, as to not compete with the chimichurri sauce. Picking up on the flavors in the potatoes, the sauce consisted of pureed jalapenos, cilantro, parsley, bay leaves, olive oil and a special vinegar ingredient that Bob will not divulge. It was the perfect accompaniment to the beef and I will find myself yearning for it next time I am forced to use that one ordinary and boring steak sauce, or even worse catsup.

To balance out our meal we prepared a fine salad of tomatoes, bocconcini (small balls of cheese), basil, parsley, and green onions. Yes, a salad with cheese as the main ingredient is still a salad, in fact it is the best kind of salad you can have.

We paired our Argentinian-Mexican-Redneck American-Italian fusion meal with a bottle of Fuerza. It is a lovely Argentinian wine, available at Trader Joes for 3.99, if you can't find it at Trader Joes you can contact me and I'll give you my aunt's address in SLO. She has pretty much bought every bottle in California.

The host and hostess of the evening declared this meal, "One of Bob's best ever," and I would have to agree. FYI Bob is available to cook for private parties if the images from Sunday night are making you hungry, but there are some conditions. You must have a state-of-the-art kitchen, an ocean view and clean up after his super-sized mess.

Guest Chef: Cooperdilla

2009-03-02T20:36:00.000-08:00

Sometimes friends like to come by the apartment and eat my food. Most of the time, the fridge is bare. Most of the real estate in the fridge is either occupied by beer, yogurt, aging condiments and maybe fruit... all depending on the day of the week or the last time I restocked at the grocery store.

My friend Coop decided to stop by on a Sunday afternoon . I think his intentions were in his stomach, because no sooner did he arrive was he in my kitchen. My laboratory of culinary delight. Well, that's a stretch. Since I didn't have much to go with along the lines of ingredients, Coop had limited options. Yet, being the creative genius that is one Cooper Wilt, he pooled his resources and culinary know how to create the both delicious looking and tasting dish you see in the following images. Bon Appetit!

Tunesday: Johnnie Newman

2009-02-24T12:05:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-22T22:11:00.001-08:00

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!

2009-02-22T17:11:00.001-08:00

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

2009-02-22T16:11:00.000-08:00

Making delicious decisions

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

Pacific Diner

3821 South Pacific

San Pedro, CA 90731

Tunesday: Coconut Records

2009-02-17T10:26:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-15T22:39:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-10T10:43:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-07T16:12:00.000-08:00

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

This Economy Calls for Simpler Times

2009-02-07T14:40:00.000-08:00

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!"

2009-02-07T13:59:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-05T21:00:00.000-08:00

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