A Taste Of Chicago

Greetings Readers!

You know, I've been to 30 states and 12 countries, but one city that I have never actually stepped foot in is Chicago.

I've passed through the state of Illinois on one of my road trips to the west coast, but never actually was able to stop in this gleaming metropolis, and for that I feel cheated.

Despite this, I still was intrigued upon hearing of a restaurant here in Burbank called Taste Chicago, offering authentic Chicago-style food (and all Cubs and Sox games for you fans). I was even more intrigued to find out that the restaurant was owned by Arlene Mantegna, wife of famous character actor Joe Mantegna.

I didn't get to hear the voice of The Simpsons' Fat Tony while I ate, but I was pleasantly surprised by the selection of food here: Chicago-style deep dish pizzas, Chicago-style hot dogs, and the sandwich that I settled on, the Hot Chicago-Style Italian Beef.

The sandwich was packed with this delicious, thinly sliced, tender and juicy roast beef into a flaky soft Italian roll and then seemingly dunked into a vat of gravy because this sandwich was soaked in it.

My first thought upon seeing that was that there was no way this roll would stay in one piece until the end of this sandwich, but I was proven wrong. Bite after bite, the bread stayed together even though it was practically soaked through. My sandwich tray had a significant collection of the dripping (enough to dip the sandwich back into) and still managed to stay together. Bravo.

To make my sandwich "hot" besides just the temperature, Taste Chicago added a relish of sorts containing giardiniera peppers and other vegetables. This was the perfect flavor contrast and the spicy cut of the relish went up against the mellow flavor of the beef.

All in all, I must say that if the actual city of Chicago can present delicious sandwiches as good as the ones at the Mantegnas Taste Chicago, I will be headed there soon enough...and multiple times.

Until next week, Readers!

**** Stars

Italian Beef Sandwich (Hot)

Taste Chicago

603 N. Hollywood Way

Burbank, CA 91505

http://www.tastechicago.biz/index.html

Delicious Combinations

Hey Readers!

You ever sit and think sometimes how certain combinations come into existence?

Peanut Butter and Jelly? Milk and Cereal? Burger and Cheese?

Well this week while taking part in Mystery Beer Night at Good Microbrew, I had the Lagunitas Chicken Sandwich which combines buffalo chicken wings and sandwiches.

The thick chicken breasts were breaded, fried and covered in spicy buffalo wing sauce on a potato roll, topped with bleu cheese dressing.

The chicken was juicy, thickly cut and not too greasy. it also lacked the fried flavor that so often ruins fried chicken.

The buffalo wing sauce was also very spicy, but not too hot, and actually did have excellent flavor. I really do have a problem with making something too incredibly spicy for the heck of it. My tongue can be on fire from a hot sauce, but if it at least tastes good, or adds something to the flavor profile, I'll accept it.

It's when you make something so hot that you can't taste anything for days that makes no sense, and usually disqualifies a dish for me.

The bleu cheese dressing on top of the chicken also added an excellent flavor and heat contrast making this delightful sandwich with a lot of flavor depth.

I've stopped at Good Microbrew before and I've always enjoyed my time there, but this classic sports food, transformed into a sandwich, and with the addition of $3 mystery beers, makes this time so much better. This sandwich truly surpassed the name of its maker.

Until next week...

Lagunitas Chicken Sandwich

*** 1/2 Stars

Good Microbrew

3725 Sunset Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90026

http://www.goodmicrobrew.com/

A Visit With Jersey Mike

Welcome back, dear Readers!

This week I took a little trip to Jersey.

Well, maybe just a place called Jersey Mike's whose cheesesteaks the locals have recommended to me numerous times before.

I figured, maybe I should try it and see if these Angelenos have any idea what they're talking about in the realm of cheesesteak science.

Heading out to Burbank, I arrived at Jersey Mike's and was greeted by something odd insider: A sign that said 'Parking For Dodgers Fans Only'.

Excuse me, but I'm fairly certain a sign like that in New Jersey would like end with your body being disposed of in the Pine Barrens (No idea what that is? Click here).

Despite the sight of this sign, I decided to give this authentic cheesesteak a try, and ordered the Big Kahuna, which has grilled onions and peppers, plus mushrooms, jalapenos and extra cheese.

Now as you Readers know by now, I've had some good experiences with cheesesteaks on the left coast, and I was hoping that this one would deliver, but I was sadly disappointed. While it was good, it wasn't great, and didn't stand out from the pack of contenders. The steak, jalapenos and mushrooms were tasty, for sure, but the problem was the cheese. There was just too much of it that it overpowered most of the flavor.

I did like that they heated the sandwich up and then wrapped it in foil before serving it. It sealed the bread up nicely and kept the insides nice and hot.

Overall though, this sandwich was somewhat of a disappointment. The locals here may like it because it's their only exposure to a true Philadelphia sandwich, but I would highly recommend a number of other places that would better serve your tastebuds.

Until next week Readers...

P.s. - What's on your favorite cheesesteak, and where do you get it from?

The Big Kahuna Cheesesteak

*** Stars

Jersey Mike's (various locations)

http://www.jerseymikes.com/

A Night At The Ballpark

You know, Readers, you may be noticing a trend on the blog here.

I've been reviewing a lot of hot dogs/sausages recently, but I swear there is a good reason.

It's summertime.

And for me, summertime means two things: baseball and hot dogs.

Not surprisingly, this entry combines both of them, as I spent my Monday evening watching the Phillies beat the Dodgers in Los Angeles.

A cool summer evening, Roy "Doc" Halladay on the mound, a good rivaly, and lots of excitement. In this atmosphere at Chavez Ravine, the only thing missing is a legendary Dodger Dog, but for this blog, I don't do the mundane or even the "slightly-not-so-good-for-you" sandwiches, as you know.

For you, I optioned for the "Doyer Dog."

This footlong all-beef hot dog is grilled, and covered with chili, nacho cheese, jalapenos, tomatoes, and onions.

Wow.

This hot dog was the brainchild of someone who obviously loves ballpark food. This is the epitome of stomach destroying food that makes ballparks so special. Where else could you eat something like this and be able to write it off?

Eating this hot dog is an absolute mess. I had to avoid spilling one of its many condiments on my Chase Utley jersey throughout the challenge of eating it. I mean, first of all, how do you even start? It's not the easiest sandwich to handle.

That being said, this monstrosity of a sandwich is one that should be enjoyed not only by those visiting Dodger Stadium, but also anyone hosting a barbecue for the summer. So the next time you're at the supermarket, make sure you stock up on these extra ingredients, and enjoy your very own Doyer Dog in the comforts of your own home as the baseball season starts to heat up

Until next week, Readers...

Update: I also attended Tuesday night's game and again danced with the Doyer Dog. My stomach may not appreciate it, so I hope that you all understand that I put myself at great risk to bring you the best in sandwich reviews.

Also, shout out to Robert Grossman for hooking us up with tickets on Monday night. Thanks!

Doyer Dog

*** 1/2 Stars

Dodger Stadium

Los Angeles, CA

A Brewery Is The Place For Me

Dearest Sandwich Lovers:

There's something you may not know about me, over the past year and a half, I have become more and more interested and skilled in homebrewing.

That's right, I'll spend afternoons brewing in my kitchen as the scent of cooking grains fills the kitchen. Then I'll wait the four weeks it takes for the brew to be fully fermented and carbonated. Really nothing is better than drinking your own home made beer.

Keeping this in mind, I have been expanding my beer tasting to lesser known beers and locally produced craft brews. This desire to find better tasting beer has lead me to search out small breweries in the Los Angeles area. Recently I found the Bonaventure Brewing Co. and that's where this week's adventure begins.

Located in the historic Bonaventure Westin Hotel in downtown Los Angeles, the BBC is a great little restaurant offering pub food and that up to 4 different craft beers, and a rotating fifth option.

For the beers I switched between an incredible Strawberry Blonde (with fresh and powerful strawberry flavor) and a standard Hefeweisse. Both of them were fresh, crisp and refreshing. The blonde was probably the best I've had in quite awhile.

But we're not here to just talk beer, this blog is all about sandwiches, and for this week's sandwich I had the Ahi Burger with wasabi mayo, arugula,tomatoes and onion rings on a wheat bun.

The burger itself was incredible. The Ahi patty was about an inch thick even after cooking and was full of flavor, without being too fishy. It was tender, juicy, and fell apart with every bite.

The wasabi mayo left a very light spicy wasabi flavor without being too hot or overpowering. The onion rings and arugula combined to add a crunchy contrast to the soft fish patty. the onion rings also weren't overfried or too over-powering in flavor. The wheat bun was fresh, and held together until the end.

But, did I say tomatoes? Isn't that a huge negative with sandwiches so far?

Usually, yes, but these tomatoes were not mealy at all. I even added them myself to the sandwich and thoroughly enjoyed them.

Overall, a most excellent sandwich.

So my dear readers, if you are in Los Angeles, I can highly recommend the Bonaventure Brewing Co. with their delicious hand crafted beer and delicious sandwiches.

But even if you're not in LA, I must recommend that you search out your own local microbrewery and support your local beermasters. And while you're at it, enjoy a great opub styled sandwich too.

Until next week...

Ahi Tuna Burger

**** 1/2 Stars

Bonaventure Brewing Co.

404 South Figueroa Street

Los Angeles, CA 90071

Bonaventure Brewing Co.

http://bonaventurebrewing.com/

Where's The Beef?

Greetings fellow sandwich lovers!

I've come to realize that sometimes, what we're looking for can be right under our noses. On the other hand, what we may find there might not be exactly what we want.

Let me explain...

I work in Studio City, arguable the best part of the Valley, and in this little neighborhood there is a well spoken of Argentinian restaurant known as LaLa's.

Now for the record, I love Argentinian food. Adore it. It's amazing. I love it so much in fact that every time I drive up to Santa Barbara I stop at this amazing Argentine restaurant (Cafe Buenos Aires on State St. for those of you interested).

So after being in Studio City for years, I decided that now was the time to order a sandwich from LaLa's. The first point to mention here is the amount of food that is given with the order1: 1.) the sandwich was very sizable; 2.) the fries were more than a large order from any major chain (and much more delicious); and 3.) a few slices of bread with delicious chimichurri sauce.

I swear if it were healthy to drink chimichurri sauce, I'd probably do it.

For this adventure, I ordered the Lomito sandwich. Finely sliced Angus beef, lettuce, tomatoes and Argentine sauce, I was hoping to be greeted with excellence, instead I was sadly disappointed.

The bread was good, the lettuce was crisp, even the tomatoes were enjoyable (and if you know me, that's rare for me to say). So what was the problem?

The beef.

Was it tasty? Yes it was. It was full of flavor and juicy. The problem was the chewiness. For something that seemed so well cooked, I expected a bit more of it to fall apart in my mouth, instead, there were times where I was pulling the sandwich away to separate it from what I had already tried to bite off.

This didn't happen every time, but enough to disappoint me.

I had tasted greatness, only to have it violently ripped away between two halves of gnashing, moderately pearly white teeth (coffee's doing wonders for that).

So would I be dissuaded from visiting LaLa's again? No, probably not.

Just next time, I won't be ordering the beef.

Until next week, readers!

*** Stars

Lomito Sandwich

LaLa's Grill

Studio City and Los Angeles, CA

Summertime In The City

Greetings Dear Readers!

This destination for this week's adventure began a few days ago when I read an article about hip new restaurants in downtown Los Angeles, and was again brought to my attention the following day in a conversation about downtown eateries.

For those of you who do not live in LA, the downtown area can be a ghost town on weekends, as the business people have left for other areas of the city, and there aren't as many bars, restaurants or hot spots to hit up.

That is beginning to change though, and Wurstküche is one of the newest hot spots.

Tucked away into the arts district on a fairly empty street, Wurstküche serves up a wide range of sausage sandwiches, Belgian fries, and has an incredible selection of German and Belgian beers on tap. What a meal to have in the middle of the summer!

This is the place that dreams are made of...but could it hold up on sampling their offerings?

I stared at the menu for quite a while and finally settled on the Sante Fe Jack Cheese and Jalapeno Smoked Turkey sausage sandwich. Add some Belgian fries to that and a Floris apple ale and you have an incredible lunch.

The sandwich itself was awesome. The sausage had a good 'pop' to it and had an amazing kick to it with the roasted jalapeno. The roll it was wrapped in was fresh, soft, and thoroughly delicious. The only complaint is that I wish the roll wasn't so big, or the sausage were slightly larger so there wasn't so much excess bread. The sauerkraut and sweet peppers I had it topped off with were crisp, fresh and full of contrasting sour/sweet flavor.

The Belgian fries were thick cut, crunchy on the outside and hot and fluffy on the inside. These fries were amazing and even got topped off with some coarse sea salt. These are a must-order anytime you go there.

And lastly, the Floris Apple Ale. An ale with the taste of apples? Are you kidding? Delicious. Light, crisp, refreshing and apple-y. I would have ordered five of these things if I had the time.

Overall, this experience at Wurstküche was unbelievable (and only got better after crossing the street to Angel City Brewing Co. for a pint). For all you LA-ers i know downtown can sometimes feel like a trek, but this is one expedition worthy of the drive.

Sante Fe Jack Cheese and Jalapeno Sausage Sandwich

**** 1/2 Stars

Wurstküche

800 E. 3rd Street

Los Angeles, CA 90013

www.wurstkuche.com