Family Celebration Time at North Woods Inn

Clearman's North Woods Inn

14305 Firestone Blvd. 

La Mirada, CA 90638

You have probably passed by it a million times. The snow covered restaurant off of the 5 Freeway going towards LA. It's right where the traffic always seems to start backing up entering Norwalk and all points beyond. Why is this section of the freeway only three lanes wide, when it should be about six lanes across? Okay, that's the end of my traffic rant for now, but if any of you work for Caltrans, can you please put in my request for more lanes on the 5 Freeway?

Anyways, back to the snow covered restaurant at the Valley View exit of the freeway. Clearman's North Woods Inn seems to have been around forever. The truth is, it has only been in this location for 25 years now. Yes, that's a long time in the restaurant business, but it really does seem like I have seen this restaurant since I was a kid. In those 25 years, my family and I have celebrated numerous birthdays, anniversaries, and graduations here. The reason for this visit, more of the same, celebrating Katie's birthday and my sister's anniversary.

North Woods is part of the Clearman's Restaurant Group, which operates two other North Woods locations, (Covina and San Gabriel), along with Steak N Stein in Pico Rivera, and the Galley, which is also situated in San Gabriel, and is more of a casual sports bar type of place. The menus in their restaurants are all kind of similar; steaks, seafood, and sandwiches dominate the menu, but what really gets people talking are their side items that come with the dinners. More on them later.

We got to North Woods just after 3PM on a recent Sunday afternoon. We went with this unusual time to maybe avoid the crowds. Mission accomplished. We were almost the only party in the restaurant, but as we were leaving, it started to fill up. Waits for tables here can get pretty long during peak meal hours. Once you enter North Woods, the hunting lodge feel continues inside. It always seems to take awhile for my eyes to adjust to this dark restaurant. We got here so early that there were very little peanut shells on the sawdust covered floor, but we made quick work of that. Snowshoes, Tiffany lamps, and stained glass windows lend to the cabin decor here, which has never changed, much like the staff, which we have seen from year to year. Also not changing is the menu. With so many trips here over the years, I pretty much knew what I would be ordering when I walked into North Woods. Let's see if this visit would be the same as all of our previous ones.

Whether waiting for your table to be ready, sitting in the bar, or seated at your table, you will definitely have the opportunity to eat peanuts and throw the shells on the floor. Go ahead, there are signs letting you know that it's okay to dispose of the shells all over the restaurant. These unsalted peanuts are okay. Wish they were salted, but I found myself grabbing a couple of handfuls while waiting for our food to come out.

Whenever you run into someone that has been to North Woods, the first thing they instinctively bring up first are the side items that come with all of the meals here. The two salads and bread are all refillable, which really helps squash any family squabbles over who would get the last piece of bread. The salads are a Pickled Cabbage Salad and a House Salad, which kind of has a mild blue cheese dressing that they add liberally. There's really just one way to eat these salads, and that's to mix them together. They go so well together, the slightly sour taste of the pickled cabbage, and the tangy house salad. If you eat these salads separately, you are doing it wrong. There is however no way to eat their famous Cheese Bread wrong. Even though you have a meal coming, it's impossible to not fill up on this bread. Even writing this a few weeks later, I can still taste this cheese bread in my mind. Sourdough bread is topped with a cheese spread that bakes into the bread perfectly after it is placed under the broiler. Delicious, and one of the best bread baskets ever. I probably had six slices of this while eating here.

We'll start off the entree portion of this review with my niece's selections off of the kid's menu. Both Kaylie and Lillie had different kinds of chicken. Seven year old Lillie tried the Chicken Strips ($6.95). She's a pretty picky eater, but managed to eat a good number of the fries, and one whole chicken strip. She liked the barbecue sauce they used here. Kaylie is a much better eater, and really enjoyed the Kid's Fried Chicken Dinner ($6.95). She devoured the leg, and many of the french fries, but her Dad took the breast for lunch the next day.

Kind of a boring looking plate, my sister and mom split the Steak Chunks on a Skewer ($23.95). With this dinner you get two skewers that contain three chunks of meat on them. This is the perfect dish for those with tiny appetites, or people that filled up on the bread and salads. This plate, like all the dinners include Rice Pilaf and a Baked Potato. Unless you absolutely love traditional toppings on your potato, get the same cheese spread that is so good on the bread, slathered on top of your potato. It brings the baked potato to life.

Both my dad and brother-in-law got the same thing also, the North Woods Scallops ($29.95). This dinner came with about seven golf ball sized scallops on each plate. I tried these and thought they were a little rubbery, and not as flavorful as I would have liked. If it weren't for the breading, these would have been pretty boring. My brother-in-law said he would stick with a steak on his next visit.

Katie was a little taken aback at the sheer size of her Fried Chicken Dinner ($19.95). Yes, that's four pieces of nicely fried chicken on her plate. This chicken was not overly breaded, lacked a greasiness, and most pieces were pretty tender, with only the large breast kind of a little on the dry side. It's probably heresy to say this, but this fried chicken almost rivals the one served down the freeway at the famous berry theme park. When I don't get steak at North Woods, this is what I get.

I did get a steak on this visit though. I have not figured out what my favorite kind of steak is yet, and at this age, I may never have a favorite. I went with the Angus Rib Eye ($33.95) this night, because ribeyes are supposedly the most flavorful steak, but also the most fatty. This one had some fat on it, but it was not as bad as others I have had. This steak was 16 ounces, and cooked to my desired medium rare specifications. Not the most tender piece of steak I have had, but it did have a decent flavor profile. The baked potato came with plenty of cheese spread, so that was all good. The rice pilaf here is nothing to write home about. Very bland, and adds nothing to the meal.

When you tell them that you are celebrating something at North Woods, they always send out two scoops of Orange Sherbet. I always enjoy this after the large meal I just ate here. It's light, and cleanses the palette for a little while, before you can taste the cheese bread again.

We have been going to North Woods for a long time now, and it's always the same. This is a restaurant that does not take too many chances by adding trendy items to their menu. You're not going to see kale, truffle oil, or okra on the menu here. The menu has been the same for as long as I can remember, and that's probably the way most of their customers like it. The entrees are not of the Mastro's, Morton's, or Capital Grille quality, but they are passable. The real draw here are the salads and cheese bread, and that's enough to get us back here once a year for any kind of family celebration. The service is always real good, and the prices are a little on the steep side, until you realize that you are getting a full meal here, unlike those other fancy steak restaurants. So when traffic suddenly stops at the Valley View exit of the 5 Freeway, get off, and head to North Woods for some cheese bread and some salads. Not that the traffic will die down, but at least you will have the lingering taste of the cheese bread all the way to your destination.

Out of five softballs, (because La Mirada is home not only to North Woods, but is also where Jennie Finch, one of the most prolific woman of softball, grew up), five being best to zero being worst, Clearman's North Woods Inn gets 2.5 softballs.

For more information about Clearman's North Woods Inn, go to their website here: http://clearmansrestaurants.com/northwoods/

Good News, Slapfish is Open in Laguna - CLOSED

Slapfish

211 Broadway

Laguna Beach, CA 92651

I have been waiting for this expansion to take effect for a long time now. When I heard that Slapfish would be opening new spots, I felt like a kid waiting for Christmas morning to arrive so I could unwrap my presents. It has taken a long time, but Slapfish is finally spreading the love across the county and even going international. Our long wait is over.

Slapfish has finally opened another OC restaurant, and the lucky city is Laguna Beach. I'm excited because this cuts my drive to their original Huntington Beach spot by at least twenty minutes. This means their chowder fries are closer, their crispy fish sandwiches are within reach, and I can almost smell their lobster rolls if there's a good wind. Okay, that one's a stretch, but you get the point. I'm excited to have a closer Slapfish.

For those of you who need to become more familiar with Slapfish, they describe themselves as a modern seafood shack, one which prides itself on serving fresh seafood from responsible and well-managed sustainable suppliers. They reason that sustainability tastes better, and you can not argue that fact after eating here. Started as a food truck, Andrew Gruel and Jethro Naude opened their first brick-and-mortar spot off of Beach Boulevard in 2012. Now, they are aggressively planning to franchise. They have already opened a Slapfish in the Middle East, with 50 more planned. Along with those, they are also planning on opening more across Southern California, along with the rest of the US. Some local spots I have heard whispers about are Costa Mesa, Irvine, and Newport Beach, but for now, we have Laguna Beach.

This location is right across the street from Main Beach Laguna, in a funky food court, closest to the intersection of Broadway and PCH. They are neighbors with an Asian restaurant and a gas station right around the corner from Carmelita's. This Laguna location is a more stripped-down version of their Huntington Beach restaurant. Yes, they still have a lot of your favorites; fish tacos, lobster rolls, and chowder fries are all still here, and they also have a step-by-step ordering process where you choose your dish (sandwich form, fish and chips, or salad), then you pick the kind of fish you want, and then select whether you would like it grilled or crispy. The night we were here, they offered Hake, Mahi, or Shrimp for the build-your-own meal option. However, these are subject to change based on availability.

This Slapfish restaurant is pretty tiny, with a good majority of the seating occupying the back wall, which features bar seating. There is, however, a lovely patio out front, which will be the place for us quite a few times this summer. I came to Slapfish hungry, so I could not wait to eat. Let's see how everything came out for us.

Something I have never had at Slapfish before but have always wanted to try is their Lobster Dip N Chips ($4). This creamy dip definitely had the lobster vibe going for it. This dip was very rich, with little hunks of lobster running throughout it. I am also a fan of the chips served here. They were fresh, crispy, and seasoned with light chili powder that night. Whatever it was, we made quick work of this delicious dip.

One of the times we visited the Huntington Beach Slapfish, Katie had the Major Crunchy Sandwich ($8), and I remember her giving me one bite and me wanting a lot more. I vowed that this would be the night I had my own crispy fish sandwich. The fish they use here is hake, a relative of the cod family and pretty popular in Europe. This sandwich was as good as I remembered it. Crispy on the outside, and the hake inside was nice and tender. You have six sauces to choose from, but you must have the Awesome Sauce with this sandwich. The sauce is creamy, with just a hint of smokiness. Really a well-made sauce. The sandwich is then topped with lettuce, tomato, and pickled onions and sandwiched between a very well-made brioche bun that perfectly keeps everything together here. The meal is rounded out with some well-seasoned potato chips. This sandwich was so decadent that it filled me up, which is rare.

Okay, Katie and I were similar with our orders that night. It was bad planning on our part. Anyways, she had the Grilled Mahi Sandwich ($9). This sandwich, like mine, came with a choice of sauce, and she went with the Jersey sauce, a creamy lemon herb. This sauce was not overpowering but added enough flavor to compliment the fish nicely. The sandwich was also topped with tomato, lettuce, and pickled onions, just like my sandwich. Katie liked this sandwich and was happy they had a grilled option, which slightly cut down on the richness.

Even though I came here very hungry and only ordered a sandwich and lobster dip, I left full. Not overly stuffed, but very content. The sandwiches at Slapfish are deceptively filling and will satisfy even large appetites. We did not get it on this visit but do not miss the Chowder Fries. You can add a fried egg to it for even more decadence. It sounds like we will be making many more trips here during the summer unless they want to open one closer to our house, like Mission Viejo. No pressure, just a thought.

We would like to thank everyone at Slapfish for the opportunity to come down and see their new place. We are very excited to see what the bright future holds for you guys. We would also like to thank Mona and Talia of Moxxe Public Relations for inviting us to another one of their significant events. We had a great time and will be back soon.

For more information about Slapfish, go to their website here: http://www.slapfishrestaurant.com/

Hopefully Spirito's Will Move Us

Spirito's

2508 El Camino Real

Carlsbad, CA 92010

The month of May means that I have to start thinking about birthdays. My family has a lot of birthdays this month, and they pretty much continue right through the summer. First up is Katie's birthday, which is only two days into the month. I had a few things in the works for her for our anniversary, so I had to play it cool for her birthday. She's been toting around a broken purse for awhile now, so I told her I'd take her to get a new one at the Carlsbad Outlets. After we got a great deal on a purse, and other things, we had grown quite an appetite. Before we left the house, I had made a mental note of where I wanted to eat, so we headed to Spirito's.

I found out about Spirito's like a lot of people, when they appeared last year on Diner's, Drive-In's and Dives. They were featured about eight months ago, so we waited until the crowds died down a bit, and hit them up. On that episode they showcased their old school way of doing things. They make their pizza dough from scratch, they hand roll their ravioli, and they even bottle their own garlic dressing here. They pride themselves on being an old school Italian restaurant, reminiscent of the owners grandfather's place in New Jersey. With all of this talk of doing things from scratch, I was really looking forward to trying them out.

We got here at the odd time of 3PM on a recent Friday afternoon. Too late for lunch, and a little early for dinner, (unless you are part of the senior set), we hit this restaurant during a lull, but that just meant we had the place all to ourselves. Ordering here is done at the counter, then the food is brought out to you. Because the food is pretty much made from scratch, it does take some time for the food to make its way out to your table. We waited over twenty minutes for our food, and there was no one else in the restaurant during our time here. We were told that this place can get busy during meal times, and after their episode of Triple D airs on the Food Network. Let's see if this will be another hit that we will have to thank Guy Fieri for, or will we wonder why he showed up here.

Not featured on the show, but Katie really wanted to try this Spinach Bianco Pizza ($10) to start with. Since it was her birthday, I indulged her. This non-red sauce pizza came topped with spinach, Gorgonzola, Parmesan, garlic, and olive oil. Not really my favorite type of pizza, but this pizza won me over. I liked the thin crust on this, while the bite from the Gorgonzola kept me interested. This pizza was topped with just enough cheese, and the spinach was well done on this. Having this pizza piqued my interest about the rest of their pizzas, which I look forward to trying on future visits.

What was shown on Diner's, Drive-In's, and Dives was this Spaghetti and Meatballs ($9). This is a real solid version of this classic Italian dish, with a twist. You have your choice of either having a regular meatball, or a Roman meatball, which has pine nuts and raisins tucked inside of them. Definitely get this version. I'm pretty anti-raisin, but here the dried grape added a touch of sweetness that went well with the pine nuts. The meatball was also pretty tender. At Spirito's they do not call it sauce, they call it gravy. Whatever they choose to call it, it was pretty good. The gravy was more on the sweet and mellow side, with the absence of that acidic taste that a lot of sauces have. The pasta was of course really fresh, and this plate was made even better after I added some Parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes to it. A very memorable spaghetti plate here at Spirito's.

Not on their regular menu, but written as a special on the butcher paper by the register, this Ravioli with Pork and Beef Ragu ($16) was also shown on TV. The raviolis here are hand made, light, and very big. Some of the biggest we have seen. The meats were pretty tender and flavorful, while the sauce had the same sweetness that the spaghetti dish possessed. The bread served with this was a great vessel for scooping up the rest of the left over sauce.

We ate almost all of this food at Spirito's between the two of us, and did not have that real heavy feeling that you get when leaving an Italian restaurant. I think that can be a testament to them using quality ingredients. Everything we had on this afternoon could best be described as solid Italian cuisine. We would definitely come back when we are in the area. Spirito's is proof that there is definitely some good Italian restaurants on the west coast. With everything being made from scratch, I did not think that the prices were crazy, or absurd at Spirito's. Be advised that they do not have a soda fountain, so all drinks are sold out of the can or bottle. Service was fair during our visit, as it seemed they had a lot of prep work to do in the kitchen, so they pretty much just left us alone to enjoy our meals. Katie was pretty pleased with this birthday dinner, almost as pleased as she was with her new purse.

Out of five skateboards, (not only because Carlsbad is the birthplace of skateboarding legend, Tony Hawk, but the city is also home to one of the first skateboard parks, built in 1976), five being best to zero being worst, Spirito's gets 3.5 skateboards.

For more information about Spirito's, go to their website here: http://spiritositaliandiner.com/welcome.html

A Pleasing Summer Menu at Prego Ristorante

Prego Ristorante

2409 Park Ave.
Tustin, CA 92782 

I love this time of year. Restaurants are rolling out their new menus for summer. Showing off lighter items, so people don't feel guilty when they go to the beach, and have to show off their beach bodies. Of course, we live in Southern California, home of 47 weeks of summer, so rolling out these menus is pretty much the only way to tell that the seasons are changing.

We were recently invited to try the "Spring Into Summer" menu at Prego Ristorante in Irvine. In all truthfulness, this restaurant had not been on my radar until I heard of the fire that broke out here nearly two years ago now. That fire caused them to be closed for five months, but they are back, and doing a thriving business.

Sandwiched between two high rise office buildings, Prego has the feel of an upscale, executive lunch restaurant, but it also exudes a family restaurant, mainly because it is. Owners Tony and Ruth Bedi are very active mingling with guests and making sure things are running smoothly, their son is a manager here, and even their daughter works here doing the books. Also, not blood related, but we could sense that they have taken Executive Chef Ugo Allesina into their family, which is a good thing since he has been at Prego for 14 years now. Italian born, and with 25 years of experience cooking, Chef Ugo makes a habit of getting out of the kitchen from time to time, getting comments for customers, and finding out how they enjoyed their meals. This instant feedback helps Chef Ugo gauge what they are doing right, and wrong. From what we have heard about Prego, they are doing very little wrong.

We were given a quick little tour of Prego before drinks and appetizers out on the patio. The first shot is of the private room where we would be having our dinner. Bordered by glass almost all the way around, it fits thirty-plus members of the media comfortably, while conveying an openness. I really liked the open kitchen you pass to get to your table here. Open kitchens are the best, as it gives diners a rare view of all the hard work it takes to get meals out to their table. I quickly took a shot of the bar area, which I am happy to report was showing hockey on their three TVs. Our tour concluded with a trip to their panetteria, which not only is a prep area for their fantastic desserts, but can be used for early morning meetings, or the setting for a unique dining experience. The aroma here was enough for me to want to find a reason to host a party in this room.

Back out to the patio for some hors d'oeuvres. The tray passed appetizers were a very well done Bruschetta Toscana and an Antipasto Crudo. I am pretty picky about bruschetta, because I'm not a real big fan of thick cuts of tomato, but this one was great. The tomatoes were diced finely enough, big burst of flavor on this, and the toasted bread was a great vessel for this bruschetta. Very well done. The star of the appetizer round for me was the meats here. I did not actually catch the specific names of these meats, but they were all first class. The salami was some of the best I have had, while the prosciutto was pretty epic as well. Very high-quality stuff at Prego.

After chatting with other food bloggers and food media people that we have become great friends with, it was time to get down to what I love the best about these events, the eating. Starting things off for us on this night was this Asparagi Delizia. When I had looked at the menu and saw this asparagus salad, I was not too excited, but once I saw it and tried it, I was very happy with this. The grilled asparagus is wrapped in wonderful parma prosciutto, with shaved Parmesan, and placed on a bed of organic greens with light truffle oil. I was worried that the truffle would overpower, but it added just enough pop of flavor here. I liked the slightly crisp prosciutto, and the asparagus was done perfectly. A very good salad, and one I look forward to trying again soon.

Risotto Alla Sovazzese was up next for us. Delicate arborio rice is mixed with porcini mushrooms, fontina cheese, and fresh herbs. This dish really had the mushroom vibe going on. They provided an earthiness, with a touch of creaminess from the cheese. I liked this dish but felt that the arborio was a touch overdone. This was our friend Daniele's favorite dish of the night.

The main course time and something I was not expecting were up next. This Cotechino e Lenticchie had more of a German vibe going on here, rather than an Italian feel. It was really good nonetheless. Allesina homemade sausage was placed above a bed of lentils and paired nicely with a whole grain mustard sauce. Not as heavy as I would have expected, the mustard sauce went nicely with the well-made sausage. The lentils added an almost stew-like taste here. Very hearty, but light. My only minor complaint was that there was not enough sausage on this, as I could have eaten another ten slices of this great sausage. I was really happy that Chef Ugo opened my eyes to the fact that there is more to Italian cooking than just pasta and sauce.

When most people think of desserts in an Italian restaurant they almost always think of tiramisu, but Chef Ugo and the folks at Prego threw us for a loop by presenting us with this Tronco ai Cioccolati. When I came home I learned that this translates to Trunk with Chocolates, which perplexed me a bit, because the chocolate was not really what caught my attention here. This puff pastry was filled with white and dark chocolate mousse, with creme englaise and a raspberry sauce drizzled on the side. This dessert reminded me kind of a cinnamon roll, but not as sweet. The mousse was pretty thick and almost resembled cream cheese frosting. Everyone at our table really enjoyed this dessert, but a few of us had hoped for a little more raspberry sauce included with this. Still a good dessert though.

For a restaurant that was not on our radar when we walked in, Prego definitely made a great impression on us. I really liked this summer menu because it was unique, and had a different spin on traditional Italian cuisine. Both Katie and I left Prego fully content and looking forward to our next visit. Hopefully, we can make it back before this limited-time summer menu is gone.

We would like to first thank our hosts for this wonderful evening, Tony and Ruth Bedi. You were both as charming as your restaurant. We also would like to thank the entire staff at Prego for everything they did for us on this night. You guys were all really great. We, of course, would be remiss without thanking the man of the evening, Chef Ugo Allesina, who came up with this great summer menu that we really enjoyed a lot. Lastly, we would like to thank one of our favorite PR people we have run across during our time doing this blog, the great Mona Shah-Anderson, who not only invited us to be part of these festivities but is also expecting twins very soon. Hopefully, she gets some rest before they arrive. We can't wait to meet them, Mona.

For more information about Prego Ristorante, click here: http://www.pregoristoranti.com/

Going Old School at Pie 'N Burger

Pie 'N Burger 

913 E. California Blvd. 

Pasadena, CA 91106

Well it was another trip up to Katie's grandfather's house in Sunland. This time we would be having a garage sale to get rid of all his junk, oh sorry, I mean stuff. I am no fan of garage sales. I'm not too keen with the idea of people picking through your stuff, trying to get things for pennies on the dollar. I had a lady ask me how much a working wall clock was, and when I replied that it was a dollar, she shrugged her shoulders, and said it was too much. This is the kind of people we had to deal with all day. So when it was time to wrap up everything, and put a "free" sign on everything left, I was pretty hungry. Katie had promised to take me anywhere I wanted, so I made her take me to Pie "N Burger.

Pie 'N Burger is pretty much a Pasadena institution. They have been in business for 51 years, in this same location, just south of Lake, on California. Michael Osborn is the current owner of the place, and he started eating here as a nine year old boy, and started working at Pie "N Burger in 1972. It seems to be a theme here, as many of the employees have been here for as long as the customers can remember. There's a waitress that has been here since they opened, and they have had the same baker since 1971. Much like the people, not much has changed at Pie "N Burger, so I had a feeling we were in for a treat.

We got to Pie "N Burger just after three on a recent Saturday. There was a wait for the few tables that they have, but we got seated at their very long counter right away. A lot of people don't like sitting at the counter, but it was fun watching all of the employees getting the food out. The decor here is minimal. Wood paneling, many awards framed on the walls, and the infamous, and comfortable swivel chairs at the counter are all part of the old time feel here. The menu here is not going to blow you away with its diversity. They have a couple of daily specials, sandwiches, salads, and of course their legendary burger. We put in our order and out came our food in a timely manner.

Katie started things off for us with Pie 'N Burger's legendary Cheeseburger ($10.25 with a side). The burgers here come with a house made thousand island dressing, thick cut pickles, and lettuce, all on a toasted bun. This simple burger blew us away. It was clean tasting, the meat was really juicy, and the thousand island was one of the best ones I have had. This burger kind of reminded me of what Knowlwood's used to be like when I was a kid. I actually was sad I did not get this burger, but Katie did offer me two bites of it, such a giver. She opted for the potato salad as her side item. This was a pretty good version texture wise, as there were some decent chunks to it, but the flavor was a little too subtle for me. Katie liked the simplicity of it though.

Since Katie had gotten the burger, I went for what I thought would be the next best thing, the Patty Melt ($9.90). This was a traditional patty melt served on rye bread, with plenty of grilled onions and cheese inside. Not overly big, but the same great meat that was evident in the burger, was also on display on this patty melt. I wish the burger would have been equally split, as half of my sandwich was more melt, than patty. The fries here were nothing special, except that they reminded me of the ones at Bob's Big Boy.

Now let's talk about something that was pretty special, the pie at Pie 'N Burger. Most days they offer just under 20 different kinds of pie, all made early each morning. Katie went with a slice of Dutch Apple ($3.85 plus $1.75 for a generous scoop of ice cream). Quite simply, this was one of the most memorable pieces of pie we have had during the run of this blog. The crust was a great vessel for the nicely spiced, but not overly sweet apples. The crumb topping added just the right amount of crunch, and I was very pleased with the amount of ice cream served with this. This pie really rivaled the one we had at the Pie Hole awhile back. Well worth the trip.

I'm always a sucker for chocolate cream pies, but they only offered Chocolate Meringue ($3.85), so that is what I ordered for dessert here. I'm not usually a big fan of meringue, but this one did not get too much in the way of the very good chocolate cream underneath it. The chocolate was rich, but still light at the same time. A very hard balance to achieve. The crust held firm from the first bite to the last. Even though I really liked this pie, I would definitely have to go for the dutch apple on my next visit here.

Pie 'N Burger is worthy of all the hype that it receives. They are a traditional burger diner, doing things the way they have done them for decades, and they are not going to stop anytime soon. This is the same kind of burger that you can imagine your grandparents eating back in the day. A simple burger, where you do not even miss the inclusion of your beloved bacon. The pie is right up there with some of the best we have had. The only problem is that with so many different kinds, it's hard to choose which one to try. The service we experienced was spot on. The girl taking our order was very attentive, and filled our drinks regularly. Of course there was no getting away from us, as were sitting at the counter. Eating at Pie 'N Burger almost made it worth it to deal with all of those garage sale freaks. Almost.

Out of five Nobel Prize medals, (because this restaurant is a few blocks away from Cal Tech, which boasts 33 Nobel Prize winners from their alumni), five being best, to zero being worst, Pie 'N Burger gets 3.5 Nobel Prize medals.

For more information about Pie 'N Burger, go to their website here: http://pienburger.com/