A Place Like Home

Greetings, Readers!

Lately, I've been in the process of working on the changes coming to the blog here, and os have had less time to actually pursue new and exciting sandwiches.

But that doesn't stop me completely.

Nearly three years ago, I wrote about a place called HyMart in North Hollywood. It's a great Mediterranean sandwich shop tucked into a strip mall at the south end of the North Hollywood Arts District.

It's a fantastic place, and while I've visited it numerous times since my review, I've never had the urge to write about them again since because I usually get the same sandwich.

While different from the initially reviewed sandwich, The Chicken-iliki is a real stunner. It contains hummus, lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, pickles, cucumbers, Greek olives, avocado, feta cheese, lemon, olive oil, mint, basil, pepper, tzatziki yogurt, and tahini sauce all on display with the delicious and tender pulled chicken.

The sandwich is an explosion of flavor in your mouth. Each flavor complements the other without being overpowering, and the chicken is flavorful, tender and
juicy. Despite the amount of ingredients, this sandwich is light and refreshing, perfect for a summer afternoon in valley heat.

I could go on about the sandwiches here at this excellent small business, but really the amazing added touch, and the other reason why I will always share the secret about this amazing sandwich shop, is the service.

The people who run and work in this shop always offer up a happy greeting when you walk in. From the second you step inside their door, everyone is happy to see you, as if you're a member of their family and they haven't seen you for weeks. Every time I walk in their, one of the owners always greets me by name (though most of the time it's not the right name, I thoroughly appreciate the extra welcoming).

If you get a chance to check out HyMart (also known as Georgi's Place), definitely stop in. Not only are the sandwiches delicious, but you'll immediately feel at home.

Until next week....



Chicken-iliki
**** 1/2 Stars
HyMart Sandwiches
4795 Vineland Avenue
North Hollywood, CA 91602

Viva, Las Vegas

Greetings, Readers!

Of all of the places I've visited over the past few years of working on this blog, one of the closest and most notable places that I've missed has been Las Vegas.

Years ago I had an interesting experience in Vegas while stuck in town after missing my connecting flight back to Los Angeles. It's a time I laugh about, but has no place here in a food blog as something terrible happened.

I ate at McDonalds.

I know, I know! But I was stuck in a terrible motel off of the Strip and needed something to eat while waiting for my flight in the morning. Forgive me!

This time around though, the visit was much better. Joining me were a number of friends for bachelor weekend and for Saturday lunch we headed to a place on the strip called Twin Peaks.

In the same vein as Hooters, I'm sure you can now figure out why the place is called Twin Peaks, this place serves up a lot of 'man-food' which amounts to hearty pub-style sandwiches and dishes.

Wanted to kick the day off with a full stomach, I went for the Hangover Burger, a thick all-beef patty topped with a fried egg, American cheese, bacon, red onions, mayo, lettuce and tomatoes. This burger may scream out breakfast to you, but really it's a great sandwich for any time of day. As I've said in some previous burger posts, I've become a huge fan of fried eggs on top of a burger. The change in flavor as well as texture is a welcome addition to the burger.

Topping this off with the fresh flavors of crisp lettuce, tomatoes and red onions was a nice contrast to the meaty patty, thick cut bacon and the the greasy fried egg. All combined though with the thick burger bun, this is definitely a sandwich that can fill you up or get you back into fighting shape after a night of drinking in Vegas.

My main complain here is the American cheese. We really need to have to move past this cheese as an option on a standout sandwich. It's nearly flavorless compared to many of its dairy brethren. A cheddar cheese would have worked much better here and provided an added flavor that would have been much appreciated.

Overall, this time my experience was significantly better in Vegas than last. I have this burger and plenty of friends to thank for that.

Until next week, Readers...


The Hangover Burger
**** Stars
Twin Peaks
3717 Las Vegas Blvd.
Ste. 285
Las Vegas, NV 89109

The Burgers of Burbank (Part 11, Finale)

The 7 oz. Burger

Greetings, Readers!

So, here we are. The end of the burger road. We've reviewed a few more here than what I've posted about, but I feel like I've discussed all the ones worth discussing with you.

So what are your thoughts? Did you enjoy the...

Wait a second.

One. More.

That's right, for old times sake, let's just do one more, one FINAL burger review on this burger tour of Burbank.

For this final review, we visited Not A Burger Stand.

What's that you say? Wouldn't that mean there aren't any burgers at this place?

Well, not really. It's mostly not-burgers (beef brisket, crab cake and portabella sandwiches, etc.) but there is one on its menu: the 7oz. Burger.

This burger is a straightforward, minimalist affair: A little bit of mayo, a little bit of mustard, a 7 oz. all beef 80/20 patty with two slices of Swiss and lettuce. Despite being so simple, this was one of the most enjoyable burgers on the trip.

Not A Burger Stand is known for their "Deal of the Day" chalkboard signs

There wasn't an overload of flavors fighting for my taste buds' attention, just delicious beef flavor with a few supporting flavor friends. The beef itself was simple, with a prominent, yet simple, flavor. Speaking with the cook between bites, we found out that he uses simple 80/20 mix ground beef, hand shapes them himself into patties and only seasons with a little bit of salt and pepper.

Simple, yet delicious.

A great and simple burger, and a great and simple restaurant in Burbank. Seems like the best way to end this journey.

It can be a little tough looking back on so many burgers and trying to decide which one was the best or worst, but the fact is that out of the many we've tried each one had its own bright spots. Some were delicious, some were risky, but all of them had one thing in common: a love of the art form of the burger.

So if you're in Burbank in the future, and looking for a good burger, hopefully the past few weeks of reviews can lead you in the right direction. Maybe you even find one yourself that you weren't expecting to enjoy and you can share with me and the other Readers for our mutual benefit.

Many thanks to Bryan for proposing the idea and then joining me on this excellent adventure through the art of Burgering.

Which Burgers were some of your favorites, Readers?

Until next week...


The 7 oz. Burger
**** Stars
Not A Burger Stand
1221 Riverside Drive
Burbank, CA 91506

I Love You, Tokyo

Ohaiyou Gozaimasu, Readers!

I have returned from my 8 day journey to the wonderful capital city of Tokyo, Japan.

Granted, I didn't eat many sandwiches there as the numerous options of delicious sushi and various types of noodles took precedence while there, but I did happen upon a sandwich dealer while walking through the neighborhood of Ginza.

Tucked beneath the tracks for the local JR Yamanote train line, The Beat Diner can be hard to find if you're not looking for it.

Also being tucked beneath a subway, every so often during your meal the entire place rattles as the train passes overhead. It definitely adds to the atmosphere of the place.

And speaking of atmosphere, the place has it in handfuls. A rugged brick interior with walls adorned by classic American rock records, it's a tribute to 60s and 70s America, right down to the classic american food: The Hamburger.

Every burger is listed in two different sizes, essentially 1/3lb and 1/4 lb options, and for this time out I decided to go with the straight up 1/4lb Cheeseburger.

While not expecting much out of sandwiches in Tokyo, and having had so many great ones recently in Burbank, I was blown away by how delicious this sandwich was.

After being given a small paper bag to wrap the burger in (a la West Coast style) I dove right in and was hit with a delicious beef flavor and a well rounded, melted cheddar flavor. A little bit of crisp lettuce tops of the burger added a freshness as well as textural crunch.

The fries were also excellent, and I wish there had been more. Very flavorful, lightly salted, and with a bit of crispiness on the outside.

This was really a fantastic burger, not just for Tokyo, but for any burger love in general.

As I've found with many sandwiches over this journey, sometimes the best ones appear to us through accident. Here we were, hungry and looking for lunch after touring the Imperial Palace grounds and we happen to pass by a local restaurant that mostly neighborhood locals would know of. We didn't expect much, and were absolutely blown away by this find.

If you're ever in Tokyo, and you should definitely make sure you are at one point in your life, you should absolutely try to find this for a break from the country's delicious sushi and udon offerings. You will be thoroughly rewarded for doing so.

Until next week, Readers...


1/4lb Cheeseburger
**** Stars
The Beat Diner
Tokyo, Japan

The Twelve Days of Sandwiching

Greetings, Readers!

I hope that the holiday season has left you in high spirits without completely bankrupting your wallet.

Because otherwise, how would you afford even the most inexpensive sandwich?

Having finished my holiday shopping early (actually in record time this year) Charlene and I decided to stop in for a sandwich on Saturday afternoon to enjoy our relaxing weekend before Christmas.

Again, this is a record first for me.

Spending time in downtown Burbank we decide to stop into the Market City Caffe at the Corner of Palm and San Fernando. This spacious Italian bistro was surprisingly empty for a Saturday at lunch, but all the better for us as we were seated and enjoying their delicious breadsticks in no time.

Looking at the menu, my eyes went directly to the Panini section and stopped at the Panini Salami: goat cheese, imported salami, arugula, olive oil, baby lettuce and tomato on a French roll.

Hearing the word "panini" though I half expected this sandwich to be grilled or warm, but it was not. This was not a disappointment, but actually came as a pleasant surprise. The sandwich tasted fresher than it would have been after being grilled with butter or oil on the bread.

There was a nice amount of salami on the sandwich without being too overpowering for the other ingredients.  The arugula and lettuce added a little bit of crunch as well as fresh green flavors. The goat cheese was a great complement of strong flavor to the salami but was also not overpowering of the greens.

The French roll it was served on was lightly toasted on the outside, fluffy on the inside, and as delicious as the amazing breadsticks the Market City Caffe serves as an appetizer.

I can also guarantee that the sandwich is still delicious as leftovers hours later.

So what about you, Readers? Have you enjoyed any sandwiches over the holiday season? Is there one in particular you are looking to try before 2012 comes to a close?

Until next year, Dear Readers...


Panini Salami
**** Stars
Market City Caffe
164 E. Palm Avenue
Burbank, CA 91502
http://www.marketcityburbank.com

You Say Panini, I Say...Panini.

Greetings Dear Readers!

There is much to talk about before I even delve into this week's delicious sandwich.

First of all, I am now on Twitter, so if you haven't already started following me, you definitely should, as I'll be updating quite often. You can add me here.

Secondly, I will soon have t-shirts available for sale, as well as giveaways as prizes for helping to promote the website. So keep your eyes peeled for those to start showing up.

And thirdly, this blog is quickly approaching its 1 year anniversary, and to celebrate that, I will be updating the look of the blog, so don't be surprised if you sign on one week to see everything's changed up a bit. Don't worry, it'll still be the same ol' delicious blog.

Now, onto this week's sandwich...

I had always passed Crave Cafe at the corner of Ventura and Van Nuys, as I usually pass there on my way home, or if I'm heading to this excellent record shop in Sherman Oaks. Despite this, I never stopped in to try it.

I decided this week would be different. Stepping into this dimly lit valley cafe, I took my time examining the menu until I found something that really caught my eye. The Pastrami panini sounded amazing, but I went for the Turkey Panini instead.

I ordered the Turkey Panini and it was absolutely delicious. Packed between golden toasted ciabatta bread, the turkey panini is packed full of sliced turkey, lettuce, tomatoes, sprouts, olive, and for my cheese, I chose mozzarella.

There was a wide selection of cheese to be had, but mozzarella seemed to be the best sounding choice for this sandwich. Although, now looking back on it, provolone could have worked as well. Regardless, there was just the right amount on this sandwich, adding to the sandwich without being too gooey or overflowing with melted cheese.

The sprouts gave this sandwich an excellent interior crunch. They were very fresh and gave the sandwich a delicious earthy flavor to this savory sandwich.

The turkey was packed high in the sandwich and it was absolutely delicious. A little thicker cut than I am used to in a panini, this smoked turkey was a standout flavor amongst all the competing deliciousness throughout.

The bread was also a clear winner here. the ciabatta was grilled to perfection, leaving dark brown grill marks with golden baked bread on the side. The sandwich perfectly sealed, and stayed together all the way until the last bite. I really couldn't ask for anything more from bread.

Overall readers, this was a delicious investigation gone right. I highly suggest a stop at Crave Cafe if you're in the Sherman Oaks area. It's also open 24 hours every day except for Sunday, so there's no excuse to miss out on this sandwich.

Until next week...

**** Stars

Turkey Panini

Crave Cafe

14504 Ventura Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 91403

www.crave-cafe.com