Hot Dog Sampling at Fab Hot Dogs

Ever since I did a hot dog sampling at The Slaw Dogs last year where 8 of us from my dining group tasted 8 different hot dogs, I've been wanting to do the same thing at Fab Hot Dogs. Finally, a few months back, we did and considering that Reseda, where Fab Hot Dogs is located, was quite a drive for me, those hot dogs better be pretty darn good.

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Before I talk hot dogs, our group also ordered French fries, tater tots and a Frito Pie. If you didn't know, a Frito Pie is a bowl of homemade chili with beans topped with Frito chips, cheddar cheese and onion. The fries and tater tots were good supporting players.

However, I could have easily eaten just the Frito Pie on its own. It's a simple dish, but if you don't have good chili, this Frito Pie could simply just be bad. Thankfully, the chili had good flavor and was seasoned well.  It also had a nice meaty consistency and wasn't greasy. I've had greasy chili in the past and believe me, it's not a good mouthful.

Now's the time to talk about our first hot dog and it was the Fab Dog which is a charred all-beef hot dog topped with sweet and spicy tomato relish, smoked bacon, deli mustard and diced onions. Although I would liked the tomato relish to be a bit more spicy, all the ingredients went well together and it made for a tasty dog.

Second to bat was the Bald Eagle Ripper which is a deep fried hot dog topped with a housemade spicy mustard relish. Just like the tomato relish, I think this spicy mustard relish could have been spicier, but I liked how it was a blend of mustard, sweet relish and shredded cabbage. It had a tangy, slightly sour taste that I liked that could be attributed to my Filipino palate and the crunch of the cabbage also added a different texture.

Our next hot dog was the LA Street Dog, bacon wrapped all-beef hot dog topped with grilled peppers and onions, mayo, mustard, ketchup, jalapenos and fresh tomatoes.  There was too much going on with this hot dog for me to fully enjoy it.  The amount of peppers and onions that topped this dog was too overwhelming and the bacon wrapped dog itself just seemed so buried under all this stuff. Less would have been more; however, the fresh tomatoes were a nice touch though because of their bright acidity.

The fourth dish that hit our table was the Fairfax Burrito Dog with two all-beef dogs, pastrami, chili, cheddar, onions and mustard in a grilled tortilla.  The Fairfax Burrito Dog is a homage to the Oki Dog, which has two locations and one of them is on Fairfax. I actually visited the Pico location and you can read about my experience with the Oki Dog by clicking here and see a picture of it below.

As for the Fairfax Burrito Dog, Fab Dogs definitely isn't shy about stuffing that burrito to the gills with ingredients.  That burrito dog is definitely meant for 2, maybe even for 3 people to consume. It was huge, but it was also delicious. The chili was the star and unlike the Oki Dog, I liked that the Fairfax Burrito Dog had enough cheese to make this cheese lover happy.

4 hot dogs down and 4 more to go and following the Fairfax Burrito Dog came the Lincoln Log Dog which was a bacon wrapped all-beef hot dog topped with cream cheese, tomato, diced onions, hot sauce, mustard and celery salt. Generally, I liked the Lincoln Dog, except for a couple of things. First, I thought there were just too many onions. I actually like raw onions on my hot dog, but I don't need to get a big mouthful with every bite. Second, I wasn't completely sold on the cream cheese. Even now, I can't decide whether I liked it or didn't like it. The celery salt on the onions though was a nice touch.

My favorite hot dog at Fab Hot Dogs, which actually surprised me, was the Monte Christo Dog. When you hear that the ingredients consist of a grilled turkey dog, grilled Taylor ham, melted Swiss cheese and strawberry jam, some of you might question my sanity. Somehow, it all worked for me. The saltiness of the ham with the tang of the Swiss Cheese and the sweet fruity flavor of the strawberry jam all gelled and made my taste buds happy.

Second to last was the Chicago Dog, which was a steamed all-beef dog with neon relish, onions, sports peppers, tomato, pickle spear, celery salt and mustard. For those of you who are from Chicago, please don't get mad at me when I say that the Chicago Dog just isn't my thing. Granted, I've never been to Chicago, so I've only had copy cat versions here in LA like the one I had at Mustard's in Long Beach, but it's just the way the hot dog is constructed that isn't appealing. On their own, the ingredients are fine, but it's such an unwieldy hot dog to eat that I can't get any pleasure out of it. Maybe, if I had a knife and fork, it would be a better experience.

Last, but not least was the Bacon Cheddar Melt, bacon wrapped all-beef hot dog topped with cheddar sauce, grilled onions and brown mustard. This was one of my least favorite hot dogs.  While I like grilled onions, I thought they were cut too thick, too long and again, too many of them.  There was also something about the cheddar sauce and the brown mustard that didn't appeal to me.

That was definitely a hot dog extravaganza, but one highlight of my visit to Fab Hot Dogs that wasn't a hot dog was their Vanilla Bacon Milkshake with Chocolate Syrup. What a great shake. The vanilla was a great foundation for the sweet-salty-smoky flavors of the bacon and the chocolate syrup.

Overall, I'd say that Fab Hot Dogs was worth my trip from the Eastside.  While I didn't like everything, there was enough that I did like and also saw on the menu that I'd be willing to make a trip back to SFV for more hot dog exploration..

Fab Hot Dogs
19417 Victory Blvd
Reseda, CA 91335
(818) 344-4336


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Taco In A Bun from Rick's Drive-In

Have you ever had one of those days when you were out running errands and suddenly, you realized you were hungry? But soon after, you don't know what you're hungry for? So you end up driving home, thinking to yourself that if I see something interesting on the way, I'll make a stop and grab a bite. Well, for some reason, I ended up stopping at Rick's Drive-In. I don't even know if I was in the mood for any kind of burger, but I've been driving by Rick's for years and have heard off and on that they have pretty good food, so I decided to give it a try. After waffling over the menu choices, I went for the Taco in a Bun with French fries.

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Why Taco in a Bun? I'm not quite sure. Perhaps because I wasn't in the mood for a traditional burger so at least, this might be a bit different. I didn't even bother asking what was in it when I ordered it. I just went for it. After unwrapping it and taking a closer look, I saw that it basically had the components of a taco with seasoned meat, lettuce, tomato, and cheese on a burger bun with mustard. Yes, this really was Taco in a Bun, at least an Americanized version of a taco.

So I dug in. Was it the best Taco in a Bun Burger I ever had? I can't say since this is the only one I've ever had, but it hit the spot. If you're really hungry, this burger was a good size, so that's a plus. As for the taco meat itself, it wasn't seasoned enough for my taste; but adding hot sauce was helpful in the taste department. Other than that, the bread was soft and the vegetables were fresh, all good things in my book. Is it something I'd crave or go out of my way to get again? Not really. But for one afternoon, that Taco in a Bun was enough to satisfy the hollow feeling in my belly and sometimes, that's good enough. By the way, the French Fries were some of the best I've ever had, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. I'd stop by just for those.

However, while writing this post, I remembered that a friend had blogged about her experience at Rick's Drive-In and when I looked up that post again, she mentioned a menu item that crazily enough may merit a repeat visit to Rick's Drive-In sometime soon. Have you ever heard of the Spuderito? Simply, it's a French fry burrito with fries, cheese and hot sauce. Check out my friend's video below. Come on, you know want one, too. :)



Rick's Drive-In
680 E. Walnut Street
Pasadena, CA 91101
(805) 658-0179


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The French Dip Beef Sandwich Always Disappoints at Philippe Or Am I Just Missing Something?

I've been to Philippe's about 3 or 4 times in the past several years, but for some reason, I've always ordered their French Dip Beef Sandwich and each time I've been disappointed.

As for the juices the sandwich bread is dipped in, they just doesn't have the meaty flavor you'd expect or would want, which just leaves me with partially soggy bread.

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Also, the beef is usually a little dry, chewy and tastes unseasoned. Only the addition of Philippe's mustard gives this sandwich any oomph.

As for why I only ordered the French Dip Beef Sandwich, I think a part of me thought that was the specific dipped sandwich to order over all the other dipped sandwich choices. For some reason, I thought the Beef Sandwich was the first "dipped" sandwich that gave Philippe's the fame it has now and given its popularity, there must be something I'm just not getting. Isn't it amazing how something just sticks in your head, even it may be wrong? For all I know, that first dipped sandwich was pork.

I kept on thinking that if I tried it enough, I'd end up liking it more, but nope, no dice. That was obvious at a recent visit there where again, I was disappointed. I also wasn't that thrilled with the potato salad which had so much mayonnaise that you could hardly see the potatoes or the cherry pie, which had a filling that was too sweet and tasted like it came from a can.

After I uploaded my Phillipe photos to Flickr and posted them on my Facebook Wall, I posted a message saying that I didn't get the allure of the Beef Dipped Sandwich at Philippe. In response, a few of my Facebook friends gave me suggestions of other things to try on their menu, which included the:

• lamb and blue cheese double dip
• turkey double dip
• pork dipped sandwich
• macaroni salad
• coleslaw
  
• pickled eggs
• pickled pig's feet
• beef stew
• baked apple

Being from the Philippines, I'm definitely a pork kind of girl, so if I do make my way back to Philippe, that pork dipped sandwich with a side of pickled eggs and a baked apple might make up my three course menu. How about you? What do you like (or don't like) about Philippe? Do you think it's popular just because it's a classic restaurant icon that's been around for over 100 years or is their food actually better than I've experienced so far?

Philippe The Original
100 N. Alameda Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 628-3781


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Media Dinner at the Dining Room with Chef Michael Voltaggio's Menu

If you know the Los Angeles dining scene and/or a fan of the Top Chef Show, you've more than likely heard of Chef Michael Voltaggio. After weeks of competition, he's currently part of the final four contestants which includes his brother, Chef Bryan Voltaggio. The finale hasn't aired yet, so we are all waiting with bated breath to see who's going to end up on top, but before becoming a part of the reality tv world, Chef Voltaggio was Executive Chef of the Bazaar and is now the current Chef de Cuisine in the Dining Room at the Langham Hotel in Pasadena.

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Last August, I was invited to check out Chef Voltaggio's food via a Media Dinner hosted by the Langham Hotel in Pasadena and put together by their PR company, Weber Shandwick. At the time, Top Chef hadn't aired yet, so I really didn't know what to expect. Once we were all served the amuse bouche, which was Blue Fin, Hibiscus Air and Porcini Mushroom, I knew it was going to be an interesting meal. Each course was paired with wine, except for one that was paired with beer. Since I'm not much of a drinker, while I will tell you what the pairings are, I'm going to focus just on the food.

After our amuse bouche, which had subtle tart and earthy flavors, we went straight into our first course which was the Pacific Yellowtail, Sashimi Style with Compressed Soy-Watermelon, Sea Sponge and Smoked Egg Yolk. It was paired with a glass of 2008 Crios de Susana Balbo, Torrontes, Cafayate. The yellowtail was wonderfully fresh and I liked how the sweetness of the watermelon played against the smokiness of the smoky egg yolk puree.

Our second course was an Octopus dish and was paired with a 2005 Peter Howland Maxwell Vineyard Chardonnay. The octopus itself was a little chewier than I would have liked but it came with some very interesting ingredients. First, it sat on a buttered popcorn puree and than it was topped with a Piquillo Confetti and Cilantro. I wasn't too sure about the popcorn puree, but I loved it. The saltiness of it went well with the tartness of the piquillo and the spiciness of the Cilantro. By the way, the piquillo confetti had the texture of a fruit roll up.

The Pastrami Pigeon with a Rye-Infused Jus, Brussels-Kraut and Puffed Gruyere Cheese was our third course. Unfortunately, this was my least favorite dish of the entire meal. I enjoyed the light crispiness of the puffed gruyere cheese, but I found the pigeon too gamey for my taste. As for the pairing, it was matched up with a Unibroue 17 Strong Dark Ale. This was the one course that the only way I could tolerate this dish was when it was washed down with a sip or two of the ale.

My favorite course of the night was the Turbot and the ingredients of this dish included Artichoke, Tomato Granola with Olive Oil and Champagne Vinegar. It was paired with 2007 Saleway Henkenberg GG Pinot Noir. This was the only dish that was modified from the printed menu. Originally, the dish was flavored with lime and vanilla, but was replaced by olive oil and champagne vinegar. The flavors were subtle, but I really liked the delicate, mildness of the fish and the grainy texture and tartness of the tomato granola.

Next was the Suckling Pig with Pistachio Beans, Onions and an Orange Juice and Coriander Reduction. The pork was sous vide in duck fat for 40 hours, which made it quite tender and I really liked dipping it into the OJ and Coriander Reduction which added a nice spiced citrusy flavor to the meat. Paired with the Suckling Pig was the 2000 August Kesseler Pinot Noir.

The last savory dish of the evening was the Lamb Confit which had Lamb as well the Pickled Tongue with Vadouvan, an Eggplant-Raisin Puree and Fresh Hummus. This dish didn't really make an impression on me, good or bad, so I don't have much to say about it and unfortunately, my photo of it came off quite blurry, too. It was paired with a 2006 Villa Creek Avenger Syrah/Mourvedre/Grenache.

Next came dessert and the first to arrive was a dessert amuse bouche which was a Jasmine Rice Sorbet with Sake Gelatin. This dessert was a total hit with me. It was cool and refreshing and after all the meat in the previous courses, it was nice to have something light.

The last course was Chef Voltaggio's take on Coffee Cake and consisted of Baked Honey, Espresso Mousse, which was made with liquid nitrogen and Lemon Curd. That baked honey was really awesome and was like a thin wafer. What I liked was that the Espresso Mousse wasn't that sweet, but got its sweetness when it was eaten with the baked honey.

We thought our meal was over until we were served one last treat, a plate that included Chocolate Bark with Pop Rocks and Passion Fruit Gelees. I wasn't sure if I had room but the little kid in me couldn't resist Pop Rocks and Chocolate.

Overall, except for one miss and one so-so dish, I really enjoyed Chef Voltaggio's food at the Dining Room. Since this meal, I've been avidly watching him on Top Chef and have found him to be crazily creative when it comes to his food. I certainly got a preview of that from this particular meal. Come on. Butter Popcorn Puree? Tomato Granola? You'd have to have an interesting culinary mind to come up with that kind of stuff. Based on this meal and what I've seen from this show, I am definitely looking forward to enjoying even more of his food in the future.

For those of you who have yet to visit the Dining Room, you may want do so soon. They will be closing for renovation in January 2010, so you may not have very many opportunities left to enjoy Chef Voltaggio's cooking at least at the Dining Room.

The Dining Room
The Langham Hotel and Spa
1401 South Oak Knoll Avenue
Pasadena,, CA 91106
(626) 568-3900

Click here to read about my previous Dining Room experience.

Click here to read about the Chocolate Afternoon Tea at the Langham.





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Sunday BBQ at Bludso's BBQ

When it comes to classic American BBQ food that includes ribs, brisket, smoked sausages and such, I have to confess that most of my experiences have been at chain restaurants, except for one memorable quickie dinner at Hungry Al's BBQ in West Covina. It's not that I don't enjoy indulging the carnivorous side of me, but with my love of ethnic cuisine, that's generally where I end up spending my dining dollars towards.

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Then Robert, who's an Assistant Organizer for my dining group, set up a Sunday BBQ at Bludso's BBQ in Compton and after experiencing their food, all I could say was "Thank goodness I'm a carnivore." When we arrived, one of the first things I saw was a deep fried turkey being pulled out of a fryer. Crispy skin and juicy turkey meat! What a great precursor to what would turn out to be quite a BBQ feast.

In fact, my carnivorous self was also able to taste quite a variety of Bludso's meaty offerings, starting with their beef and chicken hot links. Unfortunately, these were just okay. It lacked something. A firmer texture? More flavor?

The pulled pork was tender with a nice smoky flavor to it.

When it came to the tri-tip, in truth, it wasn't very memorable, but in a way that's good, right? I always remember when I don't like something.

I enjoyed the crispy skin of the chicken, but it was dry and needed just a little more seasoning, but dip it into Bludso's spicy bbq sauce and you're good to go.

But what really did it for me was their ribs. Pork or beef, it didn't matter, because both were juicy, meaty, smoky and had a wonderful seasoned crust that was tasty to bite into.

When it came to the sides, I was blown away. My absolute favorite was the collard greens. Generally, you hear about collard greens being cooked with pork, but these were cooked with turkey and the flavor was amazing. I could have eaten a whole bowl of those greens and called it a night.

I also enjoyed the corn bread, which had a nice texture, as well as the beans which had a smoky sweetness that was appealing. The mac and cheese was a little dry on the surface, but got creamier as you spooned your way towards the middle.

As for dessert, they have a few to choose from, but my recommendation is to order either their housemade Red Velvet Cake or their Banana Pudding. The Red Velvet Cake had a lovely moistness to it and for me, that Banana Pudding was simply unforgettable.

Overall, this one meal really had me seeing American BBQ in a different light and I look forward to going on more culinary journeys exploring this cuisine.

To see all the pics, go to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157620989362675/

Bludso's BBQ
811 S. Long Beach Blvd.
Compton, CA 90221
(310) 637-1342




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