Nothing Little About Tony's Pizzas!

Tony's Little Italy 

1808 North Placentia Ave.

Placentia, CA 92870

People are very passionate about pizza. They wage war over which city has the better pie. They claim that their favorite pizza restaurant makes the best pizza. Pizza lovers even clash over what kind of toppings are the best to have on a pizza. Enough fighting about all of this! Let's just agree that pizza is a great food however you like it, and from anywhere you like it, (as long as it is not from Chuck E. Cheese, ugh).

With that said, I have always been on the lookout for a pizza that would be as good as the one I had in Chicago at Gino's East. The city of Chicago is known for its deep-dish pizzas. These are pizzas that are more like a pizza casserole, than the pizzas we are used to in southern California. Utensils are definitely needed to eat a deep-dish pizza.

I heard about Tony's Little Italy a while back, but I was a little skeptical. I have been tricked before into believing that authentic windy city pizza could be had in our great county. Tony's is located in a desolate shopping center in Placentia. This small pizzeria has nine tables, and all the obligatory Chicago sports posters all over the wall. After ordering at the counter we sat at a table and waited for the food to arrive.

When we were ordering we were told that our pizza would take 45 minutes to make. I was really hungry though, and I could not wait that long. I quickly added a Pizza Bread with Cheese appetizer to help tide me over. The bread was very crisp, and the cheese and pizza sauce were very good. This appetizer reminded me of those Stouffer's french bread pizzas that I used to have in my younger days. Not saying this was frozen or anything, but that is what it reminded me of. If this was any indication of how the pizza was going to taste, I knew we were in for a treat.

After 45 minutes the Pepperoni and Sausage Deep Dish Pizza finally arrived. These pictures do not even do it justice. First off I noticed just the sheer mass of this pizza, and this was only a medium! This pizza was one of the heaviest I have ever tried to lift. After 45 minutes in the oven it of course came out piping hot, but I could not wait for my first bite. That first bite transported me back to Chicago. The cheese was smooth, the sauce was slightly sweet, and the crust, which is often just a vehicle for carrying the rest of the pizza, was a great accompaniment, kind of like how a great dinner roll compliments a meal. I really liked the sprinkled Parmesan cheese that was on top of this pizza. It gave a great contrast to the sweet sauce. This sturdy pizza had eight slices, but after just two I was already stuffed. Very filling, but satisfying pizza.

I learned a few things at Tony's Little Italy. First, you should definitely call in your order. It is hard to wait 45 minutes for food. Second, look past the woman at the register who is not very friendly, and focus on the guy behind her, Tony. He is the real deal, and the reason this place has been in business for 34 years. He makes all of the dough here, creates each pizza, and was really a very nice guy on top of all that. Lastly, I learned that there is deep-dish Chicago pizza in southern California, and you can get it at Tony's.

Out of five baseballs, (because Phil Nevin played baseball for El Dorado High School in Placentia, and also played for the Chicago Cubs, so I am sure he would appreciate this pizza), five being best to zero being worst, Tony's Little Italy get 4 baseballs.

For more information on Tony's Little Italy, click here: http://www.tonyslittleitaly.com/index.html

Billy's Deli an Oasis in a Deli Wasteland? - CLOSED

Billy's Deli

216 North Orange St.

Glendale, CA 91203

Southern California is not normally known for their delis. It can be like searching for a needle in a haystack, when trying to find a great deli in LA. Okay, maybe I should make that like trying to find someone in LA that has not had plastic surgery. That seems better, and a little more impossible! Either way, it is even worse in OC, where it is almost a deli wasteland. So when I heard that Katie's Dad wanted us to meet up with the family at Billy's Deli in Glendale, I was a little apprehensive that it would be good. Let's see if my fears would materialize.

Billy's has been slinging sandwiches around since 1948. An achievement most restaurants will never get close to seeing. The ownership has changed. The original Billy, who was not even a Billy at all, is a long time Glendale resident, Frank Whitten.  In the late 60's to early 70's, Frank's son, Lee created the famous wall that has become an iconic part of the storefront here. The wall features individual molds of salami, cheeses, and casks of wines for decorations.

Not only does Billy's feature a sit down restaurant, but half of the place is a delicatessen and bakery. The deli is known for slicing their famous meats, while the bakery side bakes bread for sandwiches, and I am also told they whips up some impressive brownies. The whole restaurant exudes nostalgia, and not just because of the big pictures on the wall depicting Glendale in bygone days. Enough of the old days, lets come back to today and look at the food.

No bread basket is served here, it is a deli remember? After being seated you are brought a bowl of pickles. I really enjoyed these. They had a great crunch, and the flavor was very crisp and clean. A word of warning before you gobble all of these down. The first bowl is free, and the next will cost you fifty cents. Well worth it though.

Katie has had a soft spot in her heart for Matzo Ball Soup since she had it in New York. She claims this was about as good as anything she had on our East Coast trip. This cup of soup featured tender pieces of chicken,  vegetables, and of course a big matzo ball plopped right in the center of the cup. The matzo ball was comforting. and rich in flavor. Katie claims this soup is medicine for the soul. I could argue that, but if it cuts down on medical bills I am all for it.

With your sandwich selection you get to choose a side salad. Choices are all pretty representative of a deli, potato, macaroni, Cole slaw, carrot salad, and pasta salad. As you can probably tell from the picture above, I selected the Potato Salad. This potato salad had a nice mellow flavor, but was much more creamy than other potato salads I have had. There were no big hunks of potato to be found here. I liked this potato salad, but Katie's Uncle Tim was not too fond of this chunk free potato salad. So the potato salad debate will live on, chunks or not!

Katie did not want to look far down the menu, so she ordered the Number 1 Three Decker Sandwich. They really piled on the turkey, pastrami, and Swiss on this sandwich. Katie liked this very much. She felt the turkey was a little on the dry side, but the pastrami was right out of New York City.  The rye bread held the contents of this sandwich well. There was so much meat on this sandwich that Katie had to take some of it off, just so she could get her mouth around this. She got the macaroni salad to go along with this, and felt it was pretty good.

Lynn went to the sea for her pick, the Tuna Salad Sandwich. This tuna came on rye bread, which she was really keen on. The tuna portion of this sandwich really satisfied her appetite. Just looking at this it looked like a lot of lettuce, and a little bit of tuna. She claims that it was not the best tuna she has had, but she would not throw this tuna back, (little fish humor for ya!).

Uncle Tim went real old school when he selected Triple Decker Sandwich Number Three for lunch. This sandwich contained liverwurst, salami, Swiss cheese, and dressing. This is what he gets every time he comes here, his old standby. He likes the flavor combination of this, and it never disappoints him.

I did not get a real good shot of Aunt Mel's French Dip Sandwich. She called the meat, "fall apart tender", but she was not crazy about the au jus here. She added pickles to the sandwich for texture. Melody did state that she would get this again. The fries were cooked to her liking, and made even better with ranch dressing. How can anything not be good with ranch?

Dennis, the pure traditionalist amongst us, got a simple Pastrami Sandwich. He really enjoys the consistency here. The sandwich tastes the same as it did 25 years ago. The pastrami was lean and stacked high. Just the way he likes it.

There was no doubt that I was going to go big here. What you see above is the Triple Reuben. This sandwich featured the hat trick of meats, turkey, pastrami, and corned beef, along with Swiss cheese and sauerkraut. Needless to say this sandwich was very filling. Out of the three meats, my favorite was the corned beef. Great flavor and cooked the right way. The turkey is not that processed stuff you get at other deli's, it is the real thing. The pastrami was some of the leanest I have had, and it was sliced nice and thin. I got a side of Russian dressing for a little flavor boost with this and it was the right call. Great all around sandwich.

After eating at Billy's I can see why it is a local legend. The sandwiches are what a deli should be. The meats are cooked the right way and stacked high on rye bread. The prices might be a little on the high side, but the quality of them makes up for it. Sandwiches run from $7 to my $14 Triple Reuben. We received good service while we were here. We got to the deli at noon on a Sunday, and there was definitely a steady stream of patrons sampling the delicious sandwiches here. The decor is not going to wow you. It is less about the frills, and more about the down and dirty deli experience. In the abyss of average to below average deli's in Southern California, Billy's is a welcome diversion.

Out of five jewels, (because the city of Glendale has the nickname the Jewel City for some reason), five being best to zero being worst, Billy's Deli gets 3.5 jewels.

For more information on Billy's Deli, click here: http://www.billysdeli.com/

Pinocchio's Pulling the Strings on a Great Meal?

Pinocchio Restaurant

3103 W Magnolia Blvd.

Burbank, CA 91505

I have returned to the home of Katie's forefathers, or as her Dad calls it, "The Motherland". Burbank is where he and his five brothers and sisters grew up. This is the place where some of them still reside. It is also the city where I may have disgraced the entire family. After eating across the street at Tony's Bela Vista, I wrote my review, and let's just say it did not go so well. It was not awful, but very average. That did not sit well with Katie's Dad, but he was not deterred, and he recommended we eat across the street at Pinocchio Restaurant.

Pinocchio Restaurant is connected to Monte Carlo Italian Deli and Market. The market has been opened since the '60s. Pinocchio Restaurant opened their doors in 1971. In those 40 years, it appears not too much has changed. Ordering is done cafeteria-style. Lining up with a tray, and telling the guys behind the counter what you want is how it is done here. We got here at five and there was never a break in the line during the dinner rush. The guys behind the counter were busy bringing out trays and trays of food. Let's see how it came out.

Katie tried the Lasagna with meat sauce here. She felt this was an "old school meal". She was completely satisfied with the amount of meat, cheese, and sauce on this. She would definitely get this again on her next trip here.

I went a different route for dinner with the Large Meatball Sandwich with meat sauce. This sandwich was impossible to pick up, because it was served scalding hot, and also because of all the meat sauce that was piled on this. Definitely a knife and fork sandwich. I really liked their meat sauce here. Very meaty and full of flavor. The meatballs were good but could have used a little more seasoning. The bread held up to the contents of the sandwich valiantly. I wish I would have added cheese to the sandwich, which would have made it even better. Also served with the sandwich, when dining in the restaurant, is your choice of two salads. I went with the Greek Salad and Potato Salad. The Greek was your basic green salad with chunks of feta cheese in it, but the salad was chopped into bigger pieces than I would have liked. The potato salad was pretty good. Good flavor, cooked right, and it reminded me of my Mom's. The sandwich was good-sized, but when the salads were added, this definitely filled me up.

This solid brick of Baked Ziti belonged to Kevin. Again this plate of noodles, meat, and sauce came out lava hot. The meat sauce had plenty of meat, and the ziti was blessed with lots of cheese.  Kevin did a great job by finishing this plate in record time. Very proud of you Kevin!

Sara, on the other hand, ate what my niece ate when she was five. Plain noodles, with a few pieces of garlic bread. Looked great, but I did not get to try this bland looking plate. Nice ordering Sara!

Luckily, Lynn made up for her daughter's horrible ordering, with this Chicken Parmigiana with Pasta. The chicken here looked a little odd to me. I would have thought it would have been pounded thinner, but there were no complaints from Lynn. She did feel that the sauce was a little on the runny side, but other than that, she was happy with her meal. She likes the consistency of the food here. The food is the same as it was years ago when they lived up in Burbank.

Papa Chris and Katie's Dad, Dennis, both went with the smaller version of the Sausage and Peppers Sandwich. This proves that great minds indeed do think alike. Even the smaller sandwiches come with two salads. I did not hear good or bad about the sausage sandwich, but both of them finished their sandwiches with no problem.

Even after the big meal, we wandered over to the market side and tried one of their 24 varieties of gelato. Our choice was the Chocolate Hazelnut. This was a very rich gelato, with large pieces of hazelnuts embedded in the chocolate. If I had more room, I would have enjoyed this a lot more than I did. Very good though.

I really enjoyed walking around the Monte Carlo Italian Deli. They had almost anything Italian that you could possibly want. They had not just a few varieties of olive oil, but probably well over a hundred different kinds. They also had a very large selection of canned tomatoes. More than I have ever seen in a market before. It was six at night, and the deli case was still buzzing with activity. Customers were buying cheeses and meats to take home. Well worth a walk around the market.

Back to the Pinocchio Restaurant though. I am not going to tell you that this will be the best Italian food you have ever had, but everything we had satisfied us. The portion sizes were great at Pinocchio's, and that is no lie. You definitely get your money's worth here as well. All of the sandwiches and entrees are all under $10. They also have pizzas on the menu, although none of us went with that option. Maybe on our next visit. There is plenty of seating here, but the restaurant does fill up rather quickly during meal hours. Katie's Dad picked this restaurant, and I can safely say that it was a good pick. He has definitely redeemed himself for some of the less than stellar restaurant selections of the past. Very proud of ya big guy, let's keep it going.

Out of five crickets, (because Jiminy Cricket was Pinocchio's conscience), five being best to zero being worst, Pinocchio Restaurant gets 3 crickets.

For more information on Pinocchio Restaurant, click here: http://www.montecarlodeli.com/pinocchio-restaurant.html

Dancing All the Way to Mambo's Cafe

Mambo's Cafe

1701 Victory Blvd.

Glendale, CA 91201

I have been Cuban crazy lately! We have been on a personal quest to find a Cuban sandwich that was as good as the ones we had in Miami, at the Playa Cafe. I know this is a tall task, but it will be a delicious one to undertake. Luckily we were headed up to Burbank for a family party, and they're just happened to be this Cuban restaurant, Mambo's Cafe.

Mambo's Cafe has been featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. We have had some good luck with places that have been on this show, and Guy Fieri has lead us astray in some instances as well. It was a good sign that as we got to the restaurant at 3pm on a Saturday it was packed in this tiny joint. This place might have been a gas station in another age, but now it has a black and white checkered floor, with large celebrity pictures hanging on the wall. We were sat at a tiny table for two, ordered our food, and this is how it all came out.

We were started off with this breadbasket. It is always a little refreshing when a restaurant tries to change things up from a normal breadbasket. This was the case here. The bread was kind of like a french bread style, but the sauce was a kind of a cross between a spaghetti sauce and a salsa. There was no heat with this sauce, but a heavy tomato flavor. A very interesting start to the meal.

We might as well start with the reason we came here, the Media Noche Sandwich. This sandwich combined roast pork, ham, Swiss cheese, mustard, and pickles. Both Katie and I thought this sandwich was delicious. This cousin to the Cuban Sandwich differs by having sweeter bread. The result is a well-balanced sandwich that features the saltiness of the meats, the tanginess of the pickles and mustard, and the sweetness of the bread. This is probably the closest medianoche sandwich to the one we had in Miami. Our only complaint about this sandwich would be that some of the bites of the pork were a little on the dry side, but those were far and few between. Very good sandwich.

We were going to be eating again in a couple hours, but I had to get what Guy Fieri ate here the Roasted Pork. The pork here had a great flavor, but like the sandwich, some of the bites were a little dry. I liked mixing the onions with the pork to boost the flavor up another notch. The star of this show was the black beans and rice. Some people enjoy these separated, but mixing them together really was the way to go here. I am usually not too big a fan of plantains, but the Maduro's here were not overly sweet and were cooked well.

We were sitting very close to the couple next to us, (this is a small place remember), so we struck up a conversation with Derek and Jenn. They were gracious enough to let me take pictures of their food. Jenn ordered the Mambo Combo Platter which included, Papas Rellenas, Spanish Chorizo, Empanadillas, Croquetas, and Tostones. She even shared one of her tostones with us, which is fried plantain. Very good, and different from the way I have eaten plantains before. I will have to try these the next time I am at a Cuban restaurant. Jenn also had the Sangria above, which looked very refreshing.

Derek opted to get the Cuban Sandwich. This sandwich had all of the same ingredients as the Media Noche but was put on Cuban bread. This sandwich looked good, and it must have been filling, because Derek had a hard time finishing it.

I really liked Mambo Cafe, but I can not say that I am in love with it. The food was pretty strong here but lacked the wow factor. Media Noche was the best thing we ate here. The prices were great for the amount of food you get. The sandwiches were all under $9, and the lunch entrees were hovering around the $10 mark. Very reasonable. The service was good during our visit here. The restaurant exudes a comfortable, friendly feel to it. If we were back in the area, we would definitely stop by for the Media Noche.

Out of five disco balls, (because the mambo is a famous dance style that originated in Cuba), five being best to zero being worst, Mambo's Cafe gets 3 disco balls.  

For more information on Mambo's Cafe, click here: http://mambosla.com/

Traveling to the Gypsy Den - CLOSED

The Gypsy Den

2930 Bristol Street

Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Being a food blogger, you have to roll with the punches. You have to be prepared for anything. Have your camera ready. Be prepared that one of your dining companions will take your first choice for dinner, so you have to go with your second or third choice. A food blogger should also be ready to sit in less than-optimal lighting for pictures. These are just minor annoyances.  My biggest pet peeve is when I am all geared up to go to a restaurant, and there is some weird reason they are not open or are closed for a private party. This is how we ended up at Gypsy Den. We were all set to go to Taco Asylum, but The Camp shopping center had no electricity. I suggested trying the Gypsy Den in the Lab Anti-mall, and my dining partners agreed.

I have been to Gypsy Den for cookies a few times but have never eaten here. The atmosphere of Gypsy Den fits in perfectly with the vibe of the Lab. Kind of hipster, with a touch of alternative. The tables and chairs are all wood, like something you would find in a cabin. The walls are adorned with rugs and portraits, some pretty creepy. Waitresses are young and exude a trendy aura. The menu is littered with items geared toward healthiness. After checking out the menu, we came up with this.

Jen will start things off for us with her Pesto Portabello Sandwich. This sandwich comprised portabello mushrooms, roasted red peppers, and zucchini in a balsamic marinade, grilled and topped with mozzarella and pesto mayo. There were things she liked about this sandwich and other parts she needed to be more excited about. She liked the pesto here and felt the flavors all blended well together. She would have enjoyed this sandwich more if it was not on a wheat bun. Something not as sturdy, like a croissant, would have made this better. For her side item, she went with the interesting-sounding Orzo Pasta Salad, which she enjoyed with its citrusy taste.

After a very long, detailed look at the menu, Clay decided on the Chipotle and Avocado Vegan Chicken Wrap. Are you sure you do not need more time to decide, Clay? This whole wheat tortilla included soy chicken, avocado, chipotle cream, salsa, and a lot of spinach. Clay, not surprisingly, was no fan of this wrap. He called it "awful, with a horrible flavor". I got to try it since he only ate a quarter of this. It was not bad, but definitely not good. The "chicken" texture was off, and the chipotle flavor was like no other chipotle I have had before. More like a curry taste to it. This would not have even crossed my mind to order this for lunch. Not my thing.

Something closer to my thing is this Waldorf Chicken Sandwich. Their version of this famous salad contains apples, celery, walnuts, grapes, mayo, lettuce, and chunks of chicken on a croissant. This sandwich had a very mild flavor. I loved the textures here. I would have liked the chicken chopped into smaller pieces, though. The croissant was a little overcooked. It was not as light as croissants should be. The sandwich was good but should have included a big pop of flavor. The Sweet Potato Salad was another interesting side item here. As I have written on this blog before, I am not much of a sweet potato fan, but this salad was good and held my interest. I would have liked it even better if they had added some brown sugar to it, but it was still good the way it was.

I could not leave here without trying one of their Chocolate Chip Cookies. Looking at the picture above, you can tell my biggest complaint about this cookie. Where are the chocolate chips? Oh yeah, there is one! Besides the lack of chocolate, this cookie had a good crunch, but the taste was just average.

I think I can safely say that Gypsy Den is not my kind of place. I can always find something on a menu to eat, and this place was no exception. The food here is way more on the healthy side than I usually go for. The ingredients were fresh but needed more flavor. The prices were decent. My sandwich cost $8, and the most expensive on the menu is $13 for a pasta dish. All sandwiches are under $10. The service when we were here was slow. Glasses were not refilled, and we felt forgotten most of the time we were here. The Gypsy Den has its clientele, but I am not a member of that customer base. Glad I was flexible enough to at least try the Gypsy Den.

Out of five scarves (because most women gypsies wear scarves on their heads), five being best to zero being worst, Gypsy Den gets 2 scarves.

For more information on Gypsy Den, click here: http://www.gypsyden.com/

G Burger, the G Stand for Go Now! - CLOSED

G Burger

421 East La Habra Blvd.

La Habra, CA 90631

I know I have been neglecting some of you. I know I claim to be "Eating My Way Through OC," but I have let some of you down. I have missed entire cities in my quest to find our county's best food. Really? I have never been to a restaurant in Brea, but I have been to 2 restaurants in Aliso Viejo?  That does not seem right. I have been to zero places in Los Alamitos but have been to 16 places in Laguna Hills! Ugh, this stops now. There are 34 cities in our great county, and I pledge that I will have reviewed at least one in every one of them as soon as possible. So, let's get to it. La Habra, you are up first.

Our first La Habra joint is the well-reviewed G Burger. I read about G Burger in the OC Weekly, OC Register, and one of my favorite blogs, Eat In OC. This place is known for its great burgers, which have been called the best OC has to offer. We arrived at lunchtime, just as a cop was getting on his motorcycle to resume his duties. My Mom, who was joining me for this lunch, asked him how it was. He smiled, gave us a thumbs-up, and told us it was great. Policemen always know the best places to get their grub on, so I knew we would be in for a treat.

Ordering is done at the counter of this small restaurant. Behind the registers is the large grill, where the workers put together the burgers, hot dogs, and sandwiches. After ordering, we grabbed one of the ten tables in the place and waited for our food to arrive. I can imagine this place gets a little cramped at times, but we found it to be clean and cozy. After about a five-minute wait, our food arrived and looked like this.

To put it literally, I went big here! What you see above is the namesake burger of this restaurant, the G Burger. This hamburger came with everything, and I mean everything. Everything includes house Thousand Island dressing, tomato, sweet pickles, teriyaki glazed mushrooms and onions, homemade Cole slaw, grilled pineapple, fried egg, pastrami, avocado, cheddar, applewood smoked bacon, chili, and an extra hamburger patty for good measure. This was one of the best burgers I have ever had. I thought all the toppings would cancel each other out, but that was not the case. Even with everything on this burger, you can taste the freshness and quality of the meat. The freshness of the toppings came out as well. The bacon's crispness, the pastrami's saltiness, the pineapple's sweetness, and the fresh avocado's creaminess. It was like a chameleon of a burger. Each bite was different and more delicious than the last. I got this burger for the shock value, but I do not think I will get anything but the G Burger on my next visit here.

My Mom was not in the mood for a burger (her loss), but she spied the BLT Ultra-Sandwich and had to have it. She never orders BLTs in restaurants, but this one sounded too good to pass up. This sandwich comprised two types of bacon (applewood smoked and hickory ), lettuce, tomato, chipotle mayo, and avocado. My Mom enjoyed the fresh produce on this sandwich and liked the fact that there was plenty of bacon on it. Nothing is worse than having a BLT sandwich, and they only put 2 or 3 strips of bacon on there. That is not the case here. Also, something needs to be said about the buns here. They were excellent; even with my burger, they stood up to all the toppings. Nice texture, and the bread did its job here.

I had heard of their Onion Rings before I walked in here, so they were a must-try. They do not use the standard onion here at G Burger. They use red onions to make their rings. They also do not use the standard breading; they use cracker meal. The result is a more flavorful onion ring with a breading that sticks to the onion better. The lack of grease surprised me because these rings did not lack flavor. The House Ranch served with these had a great consistency and was a good condiment with these onion rings.

If you could not tell from reading the review above, I really enjoyed this restaurant. We even got to talk with the owner, George, for a little while. He was very gracious when speaking with us. His philosophy with G Burger is that he makes things that he knows he would like. His palate is pretty much dead on. Everything we had on this visit was great. The prices were not too bad either. My burger was $14, but with everything that went on this, it was worth every penny. The BLT sandwich was $6, and all other burgers were under $8. After eating here, I wondered why it took us so long to get to La Habra. It also made me stop and think about what is hidden in the other eight Orange County cities we have yet to get to. Villa Park, we are on our way!

Out of five hibiscus flowers (it is the official flower of the city of La Habra, and I did not want to take the easy way out and make the rating about La Habra's own, Octomom!), five being best to zero being worst, G Burger gets 4 solid hibiscus flowers.

For more information on G Burger, click here: http://www.gburger.com/about_us