Feeling a Little Greece-Y in LBC

Goerge's Greek Cafe

135 Pine Avenue

Long Beach, CA 90802

Katie knows how to get me to do what she wants. It was a few days before Halloween and her friends were having a party. I'm all for hanging out with her friends, but I had to work at 6am the next day and the party was up in Long Beach. I usually like to be home before 10, but she said the magic words that made me agree to a late evening. "You can pick a restaurant to go to before the party." That's all I had to hear, and I was off trying to find a spot for us to eat.

We do not make it up to Long Beach very often, so I was a little bit overwhelmed with the vast selection that I could choose from. I decided to pick a place near where the party was going to be, so that made Downtown Long Beach the logical choice. I went to Yelp and looked for the most reviewed and highest rated restaurant, which wasn't a sushi place, and found George's Greek Cafe.

It had been a while since we had Greek food, and we were both pretty excited to try George's, which had an impressive 4 and a half stars with over 2100 Yelp reviews. After a little research, I learned that this restaurant was started by George Loizides, a Greek immigrant living in Zimbabwe, who moved his family here in 1980 and saved up money to fulfill his and his son's American dream by opening a Greek deli. After a short move of location, the restaurant transitioned into George's Greek Cafe, and they subsequently added two other spots, one in Belmont Shore and another in nearby Lakewood.

George, unfortunately, passed away at the age of 83 about a week before we made our visit. His legacy is living on with the family still serving family recipes passed on from the older generations. Their menu is pretty extensive with plenty of items that you see in all Greek restaurants, (gyros, hummus, and falafel). That's just scratching the surface though. Dig deeper and you'll find other things that you just won't find at other Greek places, (melintzanosalata, scordalia, and kleftiko which you will see in a bit). Prices seemed pretty reasonable especially considering the area, with all entrees listed in the $8 to $23 range.

We had made a reservation on a recent Friday evening at 6pm. We did not really need them, as the dining room was pretty wide open, with only the front room and bar occupied when we first sat down. The dining room did fill in during our stay though. This dining space is accented by lots of dark wood, plenty of pictures of Greece and family members along the walls, and a rather large patio that extends from the front of the restaurant to the side of it, which I imagine would be a prime people-watching spot during the warmer months. Enough build-up, let's see the only thing that really matters to me, the food.

Hummus ($6.75) is one thing we always start out with when eating in any Mediterranean or Greek restaurant. This came out rather quickly and was surrounded by triangles of pita bread. This was an ultra-smooth version of the classic dip made up of mashed garbanzo beans. It was good but could have used a flavor boost with maybe some extra garlic or some more spice. Not bad but kind of humdrum.

I guess one starter was not enough for Katie, so we also got this Spanakopita ($7.50) before our main dishes came out. This filo dough was filled with feta cheese, spinach, and spices. It also came with a little salad of tomatoes, cucumber, and onions. These were made very well, but the feta kind of overpowered here. I'm not a big feta cheese lover, so these might not have been an ideal starter for me, but Katie liked this a lot. I did like the spinach in these and liked them a bit more when I dipped them in the leftover hummus.

Katie's meal came out first. She went with the Chicken Souvlaki ($14.75) which is chunks of seasoned chicken with onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, and plenty of tzatziki sauce wrapped in a pita. She really enjoyed the insides of this sandwich, which she found to be tender and flavorful, but the pita could not handle the amount they put inside of it and quickly dissolved into quite a mess. She upgraded her fries with Feta and Garlic (plus $2). The fries were nice and crisp and made even better for Katie because she loves feta cheese. A hearty meal that prepared her for the wild party that we were going to attend later.

It was a Friday evening, and at George's, that means Kleftico ($18.95). Honestly, I had never heard of this dish before I sat down here for dinner, but I decided to give it a shot anyway. The story goes that during the Turkish occupation of Greece centuries ago, the Greeks cooked their lamb in sealed underground pits to hide it from their enemies. Now at George's, they roast their lamb shoulder for six to eight hours so it comes out very tender. This was a pretty good-sized chunk of meat, with most bites being very good. The lamb was spiced well and lacked any of the gaminess you would expect when consuming lamb in some places. They also provided a nice gravy with this, which I used in alternating bites. This special also came with a Greek salad and roasted potatoes. The salad was good, but I really enjoyed the potatoes. The smaller potato cubes had a crunchiness to them that I liked, while the bigger ones were soft when bitten into. I liked the contrast. A good plate, and if you are here on a Friday and like lamb, this is what you should order. 

Although Goerge's Greek Cafe did not blow us away with their food, it still is a pretty solid spot for people who enjoy Greek cuisine. I liked my lamb and Katie enjoyed her souvlaki, but we've both had better. I thought the prices here were more than fair and the portion sizes are pretty generous for what you pay. The atmosphere at George's was very laid back and not pretentious in the least. Our server achieved that very delicate balance of giving us space and making sure we had our every need met in a timely manner. This visit has us looking forward to exploring more of the restaurants that call Long Beach home in the near future.

Out of five anchors, (because the city of Long Beach is home to the oldest tattoo parlor in the US, Bert Grimm's opened way back in 1927 and I'm sure they have done plenty of anchor tattoos in those 92 years), five being best to zero being worst, George's Greek Cafe gets 3 anchors.

For more information about George's Greek Cafe, head to their website here: https://www.georgesgreekcafe.com/

You'll Want More Than Two Minutes at This Penalty Box - CLOSED

The Penalty Box

12900 South Euclid St. 

Garden Grove, CA 92840

I get excited when I hear a new burger and hot dog place opening up in OC. As if you couldn't tell from my ten years writing this blog, I have eaten my fair sure of burgers and hot dogs. I was even more excited when I heard that the team behind one of my favorite fine dining restaurants was behind this concept. Throw in my love for the Anaheim Ducks and their best player of all time, and I literally could not come up with a better combination of my passion for food and sports.

I'm talking, of course, about The Penalty Box at the new SteelCraft communal dining space in Garden Grove. It's brought to us from the talented culinary team behind Selanne's Steak Tavern in Laguna Beach, the brainchild of Kevin Pratt and hockey legend Teemu Selanne. This duo has branched out to put their own spin on the ultimate in American comfort food, burgers, hot dogs, fries, and shakes. Needless to say, I had very high hopes when we were recently invited to try The Penalty Box.

My excitement reached even higher into the stratosphere when I learned my friend Joe and I would meet up with Executive Chef Vince Terusa of Selanne Steak Tavern, who does double duty overseeing the kitchen at The Penalty Box. He makes the trip from his home in Rancho Santa Margarita to Garden Grove in the morning, gets the restaurant up and running, and then travels back down the coast in the afternoon to start his day at Selanne Steak Tavern. I was tired just listening to his workday schedule, but he relished it.

This Garden Grove location is the third SteelCraft urban outdoor eatery, with the other two in Long Beach and Bellflower. They use repurposed shipping containers to house their craft food and beverage vendors. This Garden Grove spot houses not only The Penalty Box but also Cauldron Ice Cream, Renegade Taco, Barrio, a Filipino barbecue joint,  Beachwood Brewing, The Nest, a breakfast place, and other dining options. However, I was 100 percent concentrated on The Penalty Box.

The Penalty Box menu features five pucks (burgers), four sticks (hotdogs), four twig offerings (french fries), and three whipped ice (shakes). There's also a kid's meal and bottled sodas. Joe and I met with Chef Vince, made our selections, and he brought them out to us in less than ten minutes. Let's see if The Penalty Box lived up to my lofty expectations.

The menu lists these as poutines, but they are really loaded fries since no cheese curds or gravy are included in them. Maybe they wanted to give this more of a Canadian hockey feel to them, not that they needed it. This is the "Vladimir" ($10). The base of this was their house Yukon Twists, a thick French fry with a soft and pillowy inside that was way better than any steak fry I've had. They top this with short rib, pickled red onion,  scallion, American cheese, Russian sauce, and cornichon, which I learned is just a fancy way of saying tiny pickles. Google gets the tip for that info. Anyway, everything included here melded well together. The short rib was tender and flavorful, while the pickled red onion and cornichon slightly cut the richness. I feared the American cheese would stick out like a sore thumb, but it played nicely with the well-made Russian sauce. A way more sophisticated version of animal-style fries.

Joe and I split this Triple Deke ($14) since we both got our own burgers and wanted to be kept from being rolled out of SteelCraft with a wheel barrel. After finishing half of this, I wished I had gotten my own. With this one, they take a bacon-wrapped Polish sausage and top it with braised pulled pork, pickled onion, scallion, a three-cheese fondue, and penalty box sauce. Chef Vince told us they source this solid Polish sausage from Texas. It had a great snap to it. The bacon was crisp and went well with the other parts of this loaded hot dog. Definitely one of the best hot dogs I have had this year.

For my burger on this visit, I went with the Broken Rib ($16). This third-pound wagyu burger was accompanied on the bun with a bourbon barbecue short rib, a giant onion ring, smoked gouda fondue, and sin bin sauce to tie everything together. I was expecting a heavier burger when I first read everything that was involved with this. Each bite was better than the next and lighter than I had imagined. The Wagyu beef is high quality, and I'd ask for some extra sin bin sauce the next time I had this. Really a well-crafted burger.

My friend Joe is a very sophisticated eater. While my pockets are littered with receipts from fast food eateries, his pockets are filled with credit card slips from Mastro's, Ironwood, and Fleming's. I'm not trying to embarrass him, but my point is that he knows good food. We both became big fans of this Great Eight Burger ($14). This is the only burger on the Penalty Box menu that does not utilize a beef patty. Instead, it is anchored by an eight-spiced Morrocan lamb patty and accented with roasted piquillo pepper, goat cheese, pickled red onion, rocket, and delectable chimichurri aioli. This had a big-time flavor in each bite, and the lamb patty lacked any gaminess, which can sometimes be a drawback to eating lamb. I also have to shout out to the excellent ciabatta roll that this came on. A very memorable burger, not one that should be missed.

One trip to The Penalty Box was not enough, so I returned the next week to try a little more from their menu. This time, I started with the Goon Fries ($7), their Yukon twists with thick slab bacon, chipotle aioli, cheddar cheese, and a fried egg on top. I liked this, but I liked the Vladimir fries I had on my first trip better. The egg was done perfectly, as the yolk was runny enough to be spread evenly across a large portion of the fries to provide a pleasing richness. The cheese was mellow, but they could have used more chipotle aioli for my taste.

This Barnburner ($9) hot dog was not only delicious but visually stunning as well. The beautifully shining brioche hot dog bun houses an all-beef gourmet hot dog, spicy cream cheese, pickled Fresno chili, braised onions, and sin bin sauce. I was unsure about the cream cheese on this, but it was not a distraction here, and in fact, it added a nice element to the hot dog. This had just enough spice to make it a good choice for people who like a tinge of heat without having to guzzle water right afterward. Very well done.

On my second trip to The Penalty Box, my swan song was this Hall of Famer Burger ($14). I had an excellent expectation for this burger when I read the description of it on their menu. A third-pound wagyu patty with red onion marmalade, American cheese, house pickles, shredded iceberg lettuce, and thick slab bacon. This was good but a little too subtle for my tastes. The bacon was thick and smokey, but I needed more from the red onion marmalade and some of that excellent sin bin sauce. This was definitely the mildest of all the items I had on my two visits to The Penalty Box.

After eating at The Penalty Box, I could feel the fine dining line in the food. These are elevated burgers, hot dogs, and fries. It should not be surprising since the cuisine at Selanne Steak Tavern is world-class, so it logically means that the same culinary team would do the same with the food we grew up with. As one of my favorite hockey players, who also has his name on one of my favorite restaurants, The Penalty Box adds to Teemu Selanne's legacy in Orange County. I can't wait to see what the Great 8 comes up with next.

For more information about The Penalty Box, head to their website here: https://www.penalty-box-oc.com/

These Tacos Are Definitely Not the Pits - CLOSED

Taqueria Los Olivos

1997 North Orange Olive Road Ste. B

Orange, CA 92865

Hockey season brings me some pretty big challenges. Not only do I have to endure going through another season of watching our beloved Ducks go through another rebuilding season, but I also have to find places to eat before the 15 games we attend yearly. After decades of games, it seems we have been just about everywhere to eat before watching countless goals, brawls, wins, losses, and more at the Honda Center. That was until I read about Taqueria Los Olivos in the OC Register.

Every Tuesday for the last year or so, Brad Johnson, the acclaimed restaurant reviewer for the OC Register, has written about a spot to get tacos in our wonderful county. I've gotten numerous tips from this regular column and added them to my must-try list. When we were leaving for a recent game, I figured we had just enough time to fight traffic and try Taqueria Los Olivos, just a few blocks from Honda Center. 

This tiny taqueria is situated in a very sleepy shopping center anchored by at least three thrift stores, which I counted, and apparently all close earlier than the 6 p.m. time we visited. For further reference, the center is situated right across from Shaffer Park. I've gathered that this was the home of another taqueria, Taqueria Guadalupana, which was around for over 20 years in this spot.

Taqueria Los Olivos took over in early 2017 and made some minor adjustments, like a fresh paint job, adding a small salsa bar, and changing over from an all-cash payment method to accepting debit and credit cards. Welcome to the 21st century. The menu is pretty much the same as the old place. They offer seven types of meat; you can get it in a taco, burrito, torta, or quesadilla. On weekends they have menudo with handmade corn tortillas. I was excited to see if this place would be top shelf or if it would hit iron and our goal of a good meal would be denied. Let's check it out.

Katie opted for two tacos for her pregame meal this evening: a Chicken Taco ($1.39) and a Pastor Taco ($1.39). These no-nonsense tacos come with onion, cilantro, and a little red salsa. More salsa is available at the aforementioned salsa bar. Katie liked the chicken taco but was much more excited by the pastor. She loved the flavor profile and was especially fond of the tortillas here, which she suspects are handmade, but I'm unsure.

The taco party continued with my plate of three tacos. I chose the Buche Taco ($1.39), Pastor Taco ($1.39), and the Carnitas Taco ($1.39). All were dressed similarly to Katie's except the buche, one of the best versions I have had of this taco. For those unaware, buche is pork stomach, and can be a little dicey ordering it in some places. This one was crisper than most, which allowed for a good texture. The pastor is sliced freshly off the trompo, which is always a good sign. Not as good as the one I had at the Taco Stand in Downtown Orange, but it's a steal at half the price of that one. The carnitas was good and flavorful, but I missed the crispy tips I loved when ordering it. The tortillas were great vessels for these tacos, as they held everything together and had a nice crispness due to them being placed on the flattop for a short while.

As good as the tacos were here, Katie and I were very impressed with this Carne Asada Quesadilla ($6.72). This flour tortilla bursts at the seams with plenty of cheese and carne asada. The cheese and beef worked in great tandem inside, while the lightly grilled tortilla provided a nice crunch on the outside. This was cut into four triangles, so it filled us up perfectly. One of the better and greater value quesadillas we have found in a long while. 

It's safe to say that we will definitely return to Taqueria Los Olivos before the upcoming Ducks games and when we are in the area and want some solid Mexican food. This is a low-key taqueria, so if you are looking for a place with more ambiance, you might want to try somewhere else. Service was super friendly during our stay, and they seemed genuinely grateful for every guest that came through their door. All of the above and three bottles of water only set us back at less than $14, leaving us with enough money to park at the game.

Out of five olive trees (because olives are in the name of this restaurant and the oldest olive tree in the world is 4,000 years old and resides on the island of Crete, your fun fact for the day), five being best to zero being worst, Taqueria Los Olivos gets a very strong 3 olive trees.

Taqueria Los Olivos does not have a website, but you can find more information about them on their Yelp page here: https://www.yelp.com/biz/taqueria-los-olivos-orange

A Breakfast That's up to Scratch

Scratch Bakery and Cafe

24321 Avenida De La Carlota 

Laguna Hills, CA 92653

It's pretty difficult to keep up with the OC restaurant scene. Just when I think I have it wired, a restaurant closes, or another one opens. Then there are the places that inexplicably fall through the cracks. These are joints that I just plain miss. Good spots that for some reason or another don't get the attention that they deserve. Scratch Bakery and Cafe definitely falls into that category.

I was dining at a nearby restaurant recently and saw Scratch Bakery from across the parking lot. I didn't really think too much about it until a few days later when I got an email from them asking that I come in and try them out. I figured that it must be my destiny to give them a try, so I hurriedly replied in the affirmative that I'd come in the next Thursday.

Scratch Bakery might get overlooked because of their location. Not only do they have to contend with all of the stalled construction going on at the old Laguna Hills Mall, but they are also tucked into a less-trafficked corner of a shopping center that features Trader Joe's, Marshalls, brunch favorite Break of Dawn, and the weirdly, still thriving Woody's Diner. Man, how is that place still in business?

Anyways, back to the business at hand. You can trace the origins of this bakery to the Northen California town of Turlock, which is where a grandmother, Nana Fi, opened a bakery in 1989. The baked goods sold there was a great hit with many of the locals. The family eventually moved south and opened up Nana Fi's Bakery in Laguna Hills six years ago. In 2018, the bakery was rebranded as Scratch Bakery and Cafe with the same family running things.

Scratch Bakery and Cafe is truly a scratch bakery, as all of the 25 plus baked goods that are available daily here are made on the premises. They have plenty of cake offerings but do not do specialty cake orders, tiered or themed. They do however produce holiday and themed cakes throughout the year. I counted at least eight flavors of cake during my visit. They are also very well known for their bread and provide it to numerous restaurants in the area.

The weekends can be a little tricky finding seating in the small cafe and outside in front of the restaurant, as people like to linger with their coffee and meals in the relaxed and family atmosphere at Scratch Cafe. Breakfast is the big draw here, but there's also a lunch menu that features a good selection of sandwiches, some of which are named after family members. Soups and salads round out the lunch menu. I hear the soups are amazing, but alas, I was here for breakfast, so let's check out how that all turned out for me. 

It would almost be impossible for me to visit a bakery and not get a Cinnamon Roll ($3.50). After spying the ones behind the glass case at Scratch, I knew I was not going to be able to resist having one. They even offered to heat it up for me, which allowed for the icing to form a sugary cascade pooling on the plate. This cinnamon roll was lighter than most, with a very subtle cinnamon flavor inside. I really liked that they provided plenty of icing, as there's nothing worse than a cinnamon roll without enough icing for the whole roll. A sweet start to my first meal of the day. 

This Breakfast Sandwich ($5.95) has ruined me for the rare occasion that I travel to the Golden Arches for an Egg McMuffin. Scratch Bakery is pretty well known for their English muffins, which are made here. The result is a lighter, more airy English muffin. Way better than anything you can find in the grocery store or at McDonald's. The insides of the sandwich are not to be discounted though. A perfectly folded egg is joined with thick-cut, crispy bacon and cheddar cheese. A very hearty breakfast sandwich. This kept me full and satisfied the rest of the day. 

For some reason, there's a backlash about Avocado Toast ($6.75). I don't really get the averse reaction that this delicious combination receives. Not only was the version at Scratch delicious, but visually stunning as well. They top their house-made rosemary bread with a smear of avocado, sliced tomato, lemon pepper, and I chose to add a fried egg for an extra dollar and a half. I loved the way that the runny yolk tied everything together. The bread was sturdy enough to hold the toppings and the tomato slices were some of the freshest I've had in a while. So, give the much-maligned avocado toast a break and just take it for what it is, a simple, delicious snack.

Scratch Cafe is well known, not only for their English muffins but also for their Croissants ($3.00). From what I hear these are very time consuming to make, with lots of layers to them. The result is one of the best croissants you will find in OC. It was buttery, but not overloaded with butter flavor. Light and airy, with very pleasing flakiness to it. A great side item to anything that you order off of the Scratch Bakery and Cafe menu.

I was pretty full when it was time to leave, but I needed something to go home with, so I got a Chocolate Chip Cookie ($2.75) and Oatmeal Cookie ($2.75) for a little later. Well, later ended up being twenty or so minutes. Yeah, willpower with food has never really been my forte. Both of these cookies were good. I like my chocolate chip cookies with a crunchy outer ring and a softer, chewier middle. This one checked those boxes. The oatmeal might have been even better. It had a great texture to it and the flavor warmed me from the inside. It almost made me wish that I had saved it longer than the hour after I had left Scratch Bakery.

Scratch Bakery and Cafe definitely qualifies as a hidden gem in South OC. I'm very happy that they reached out and invited me to come in and give them a try. Small, family-run businesses are usually the places where you can find the best meals, and that was the case on this recent Thursday. I'm already making plans to come back and try their sandwiches and their biscuits and gravy, which is only offered on weekends. I'm very happy I got a little nudge to try this place and hopefully reading this will give you a little prod to do the same.

For more information about Scratch Bakery and Cafe, head to their website here: https://www.scratchbakerycafe.com/

You Can Go Home Again

Evan's Smokehouse

4859 Main Street

Yorba Linda, CA 92886

My hometown of Yorba Linda is finally growing up. When I was a youngster cohabitating with my parents in the Land of Gracious Living in the '70s and '80s, we always had to leave the city limits to go to the movies, the mall, or a chain restaurant. Back in those days, Yorba Linda seemed so isolated. We had a McDonald's, Wing's Chinese restaurant, KFC, and an H. Salt Fish and Chips, which was about it. In the mid to late 80s, the city grew out a bit and got a Chili's. It was a slow growth.

Flash forward to the present day, and the founding city leaders might not even recognize the city referred to as Nixon Country. Yorba Linda has taken cues from nearby towns and wants some consumer dollars to stay in the city. They have redone their downtown area by creating the Yorba Linda Town Center. This shopping and entertainment complex is situated at the corner of Imperial and Yorba Linda Boulevard. It is anchored by Bristol Farms, Regal Movie Theater, and a smattering of restaurants, most notably, a Habit Burger, Blaze Pizza, Cafe Rio, South OC favorite, the Blind Pig, and a Greek place called Apola Gyro Grill. A far cry from when I was growing up here.

It's another place right behind the sparkling new Town Center and right next to the four-story parking structure that has brought me back to the city of my youth. On the corner of Arroyo and School Streets, a dirt lot hosts Evan's Smokehouse three days a week, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, starting at 4pm until they run out. It's a modest little space with a small stand where they write up your order, and then you bring your ticket to their trailer, and the food is prepared for you.

There are a dozen picnic tables, some covered by EZ-Up. The menu? The meats are sold by the half-pound and include pulled pork, brisket, half chicken, and pork ribs. I have also been told they have limited beef ribs, but they were not offered the night we were here. There are two sandwiches to choose from, house-cured pastrami and pulled pork, which you will see in a moment. The menu is rounded out with five sides and a banana pudding, which we hear is fantastic.

The man behind this cavalcade of meat is Chef Evan Carl. After graduating from Laguna Culinary Arts six years ago, he held plenty of jobs in OC kitchens, Tabu Grill, Del Frisco Grille, Bandera, Pueblo, and Sidecar Doughnuts among them, then went across the Southern US to learn from the great pitmasters of barbecue. He's also worked in some high-end LA restaurants, notably Melisse Restaurant, Georgie Restaurant, and The Bazaar by Jose Andres. As if that was not enough, he also found time to become a licensed pilot. Let's see if this barbecue will make us feel like we are in the mile-high club or if it will make us feel like we missed our connecting flight.

Katie is as predictable as a political argument breaking out on Facebook when she's eating at a barbecue restaurant. She almost always orders a Pulled Pork Sandwich ($12), as was the case on this Friday evening. This Carolina-inspired sandwich came with a big pile of pulled pork and coleslaw on a nicely toasted roll. The pork was in more enormous hunks than most of us have had, but I liked that. The pork was nice and moist, and the smoke flavor was not too overpowering and hung out in the background of each bite. Katie felt the weak part of the sandwich was the bun, which fell apart by the end of her meal. Katie went with Grandma's Potato Salad ($4) for a side. My grandmother never made a potato salad like this one. Whoa, was this awesome. The combination of egg, dijon, mayo, red onion, and celery to accompany the well-done potatoes made this side a winner. Great texture and flavor. I feared the dijon would overpower here, but that was not the case. Do yourself a favor and get the pint-size for an extra $3. You won't be sorry. Is it too late for the grandma who made this to adopt me?

I created my own since combo plates are not featured on Evan's Smokehouse menu. I went with the half-pound of Brisket ($15), Three Pork Ribs ($9), and Cornbread ($4). Yes, it was a little pricey for the $28 I paid, but after a few bites, I forgot about the small dent in my wallet. The meats were divine. The brisket had a lovely ribbon of fat running alongside the top of each slice, the bark framing each piece was nice and flavorful, and the meat was nicely tender and juicy. A very well-done brisket, but the pork ribs are not to be ignored. A very meaty rib, they were tender, came off the bone nicely with a light tug, and the lightly sauced outer portion provided the only flavoring that I needed with the meat. Even though extra barbecue sauce was offered, it was unnecessary. The hallmark of excellent barbecue meat. The cornbread grew on me, but it was love at first bite for Katie. I like sweeter cornbread, but as I ate this, I liked the flavor of the pop of roasted chilis and cheddar cheese. Katie traded me half of her potato salad for the cornbread, so we both ended up very happy. Negotiation is the sign of a great marriage.

As I write this, I regret not trying the Banana Pudding, but I will definitely be back at Evan's Smokehouse. That's one of the only regrets I experienced on this visit. This is one of the best barbecue spots I have experienced in Oe. The menu is limited. I'd love for them to add some sausage or tri-tip and some mac and cheese, but it may not be possible due to the limited space in their trailer. I'm also nervous that this is only a temporary spot for Evan's Smokehouse because I'm sure there will eventually be a plan for this corner lot. For now, the residents of Yorba Linda should consider themselves lucky to have the opportunity to eat great barbecue at least three days a week. It's way better than the options I had while growing up here.

Out of five avocados (because the official tree for the city of Yorba Linda is the Fuerte Avocado), five being best to zero being worst, Evan's Smokehouse gets 4 avocados.

For more information about Evan's Smokehouse, head to their website here: https://www.evanssmokehouse.com/

Hoping Art's Deli Will Be Just What the Doctor Orders

Art's Delicatessen and Restaurant

12224 Ventura Blvd. 

Studio City, CA 91604

I have really been wanting to visit a real Jewish deli for a long while now. I have two reasons for this. One reason is that it has been way too long since I have had a really good Reuben sandwich. My other motive is a little more selfish on my part. Katie has had this lingering cough and cold for a few weeks now, and she refuses to take any kind of cold medicine for it. I was thinking if I could just get her to a good deli, she would get some matzo ball soup, which is also known as Jewish penicillin, and I'd finally get a good night's sleep. See, you just thought I just picked these restaurants at random.

When I searched on Eater LA's Guide to LA's Jewish Delis, Art's was relatively close to where we were staying and was kind of on our way back home. Art's Delicatessen has been in business since 1957 and was started by Art Ginsburg. He passed away in 2013, and the restaurant is now run by the next generation, Sandy and Harold Ginsburg.

Sometimes parking in this area of town can be tough, but there's convenient public parking available right across the street from Art's, right behind the Bank of America.  We had no problem finding a spot and our luck held as we entered Art's and got a table right away. The inside is rather large, with plenty of comfy booths and pictures of their food lining the walls. There's also a deli counter near the front door, which offers plenty in the way of deli fare for people that want their stuff to go.

The menu at Art's Deli is overwhelmingly large, just like at almost every great deli. They offer breakfast, plenty in the way of sandwiches, a plethora of soups, dinner salads, deli specialties, burgers, hot dogs, and more substantial meals like meatloaf, stuffed cabbage, and others plates for hearty eaters. Predictably, prices are rather high for most items, but that's to be expected in delis like this, and more specifically, in this neighborhood. Let's see how everything turned out for us on this late Sunday morning.

So much for my diabolical plan of gently getting Katie to get some matzo ball soup to knock that lingering cold out of her. Maybe corned beef hash has the same effect? Anyways, Katie felt like breakfast and made the unusual selection for her, of the Corned Beef Hash and Eggs ($19). I have never known her to order hash before, but she claimed that it jumped out at her when she was perusing the menu. She felt the corned beef hash was a little on the dry side, but stated that the eggs and hashbrowns were very good. She was also very fond of the Everything Bagel that she got instead of toast. Not sure if they make their bagels here, but she claimed it was one of the freshest she has had in some time.  A good breakfast, but it could have been better if the star of the plate, the corned beef hash was more to her liking.

Like I had said earlier, I have been craving a Reuben ($23), and I would not be denied this morning. At Art's, they offer either turkey, pastrami, or corned beef as the choices for their Reubens. I went with the pastrami, which I have a preference for. The pastrami is not cut very thin, which allows for a better sandwich in my opinion, as it allows for the pastrami to be the star of the show. I can hear my dad in my head telling me I'm wrong about this, but I'll stand by my guns. The sandwich was finished off with a good amount of sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and Russian dressing all on toasted rye bread. I really did like this sandwich, the pastrami was very flavorful and not too salty, the sauerkraut was not overly tangy, and the Russian dressing brought it all together. I also have to make mention of the rye bread here, as it was excellent. For my side item, I went with the potato salad which was pretty solid, but I was hoping for a bigger pop of flavor from it. It did have a good texture to it though, but I'd probably get something else the next time.

Art's Delicatessen did not cure Katie's cough and cold, due to her not taking my gentle suggestion of having the matzo ball soup, but it did help quench my desire for a very solid Reuben sandwich. Where does Art's rank out of all the LA delicatessen I have been to so far? I'd put it behind Brent's and Langer's, but it's definitely a solid spot. Service was good on this visit, except that our server brought out a tuna melt instead of my Reuben, but that miscue was rectified in a timely manner. I'm happy to report that Katie's cold finally cleared up later that week, which I'd like to think was due in a small part to this visit to Art's. Delis can be very medicinal.

Out of five Frisbees, (because the first Frisbee was sold in 1957, the same year that Art's opened), five being best to zero being worst, Art's Delicatessen and Restaurant gets 3.5 Frisbees.

For more information about Art's Delicatessen and Restaurant, head to their website here: https://www.artsdeli.com/

Burgers so Good They Will Make You Do the Truffle Shuffle?

Burgers Never Say Die

2388 Glendale Blvd. Unit A

Los Angeles, CA 90039

Ugh, baby showers. The words just bring to mind dread for me. Luckily, the last couple of years have been devoid of coed baby showers. That streak ended last month when Katie's family threw her sister Emily a shower up in Burbank with her extended family.

I had sworn off baby showers long ago when my friend Richard invited me to a coed shower, which he promised would be filled with football, beer, food, and none of the lame games that typically go with the impending birth of a child. Not only was it only me, him, and one other guy there, but I was alerted to the fact that he needed to be there to help out and there would be no football. I promised myself I would never be duped like that again.

I made an exception for my sister in law because I love hanging out with the extended family, I knew there would be plenty of good food and cocktails present, and with Katie leaving a couple hours ahead of me to help set up, it gave me plenty of time to stop on the way up the 5 Freeway and try out one of the hottest burger spots in LA, Burgers Never Say Die.

Burgers Never Say Die has been on every burger lover's radar for two years now. They started in the backyard of owner Shawn Nee's house, and with the word of mouth about the smashed burgers he was serving up there, the lines grew out of control, and ultimately they were forced to shut down. They then did pop-ups in Glendale, and finally found a permanent home at the start of this year in Silverlake.

I had it timed perfectly to get here at half-past one on a recent Saturday, hoping that I'd miss the busy lunch rush. No such luck, as the parking lot was packed and I ended up parking a few streets away in the residential area behind the restaurant. The restaurant sits just in the back of Silverlake Coffee right off of busy Glendale Boulevard.

I was able to walk right in and place my order, but then the waiting began. It took nearly 40 minutes from when I placed my order until I was back eating my food in my car, a far cry from the two hour wait times that some people have reported at the height of BNSD's popularity. There is limited seating here, and people were scoping out tables very quickly. Speaking of limited, the menu here is pretty limited as well. They offer a double burger, fries, and soft-serve ice cream. Enough build-up, let's see what the hottest burger in LA looks and tastes like.

Okay, here it is in all of its glory. I got the Double ($7.35), which comes with two patties, of course, cheese, ketchup, mustard, pickles, and diced onions. The comparisons to these cheeseburgers and the ones at McDonald's are numerous online, but this burger is what I imagine McDonald's used to taste like when they started in the '50s. The beef patties were smashed onto the grill and it formed a nice crusty outer ring, while the cheese and condiments were there to compliment the meat, not overpower it. The bun was super soft and well made. The burger was a little greasy, but it still came across as a very clean tasting burger. I'd describe this as a superior fast-food burger, but one that takes 40 minutes to get from the time you order it. 

I also got an order of Fries ($3.95). They were your typical fast-food fries. Maybe a little salty, but they were fried crisp, and if I had gotten some ketchup to go along with them it would have helped cut the saltiness a bit. Pretty good, but not earth-shattering.

Right where you order, they have it splashed across their counter that you better order two. I'd definitely agree with that sentiment. I knew I was going to be eating at the baby shower, so I showed a little restraint, but I could have easily put away two of their double burgers. Burgers Never Say Die is a spot I think everyone should visit at least once. The burgers are deserving of all the praise that they get, but if this was the only burger spot left on the planet, I think I'd become a little tired of it after having it ten or so times, due to their limited menu. In the end, this burger did help to ease the pain of enduring another coed baby shower. Hopefully the last one for a while.

Out of five pirate treasures, (because the name of this restaurant evokes the 1985 movie, Goonies, and of course, the goonies never say die while they are looking for treasure), five being best to zero being worst, Burgers Never Say Die gets 3 pirate treasures.

Burgers Never Say Die does not have a website, but you can find more information about them on their Yelp page here: https://www.yelp.com/biz/burgers-never-say-die-los-angeles-2