Big Burgers at Big Horn Bar & Grill

Our first night in Borrego Springs Katie and I arrived earlier than we had expected, but still late enough for the residence of Borrego Springs to have called it a night. We were hungry so we yelped a nearby restaurant, Big Horn Bar & Grill, which is inside the Palm Canyon Hotel and RV Resort. It had 4.5 stars and was one of the few places still open at 7pm, so we decided to give it a try.

When we walked in we could see a small store to the left and the dinning room ahead. It was completely empty except for 2 guys at a table eating dinner and the workers milling around. We sat at a high top and quickly read through the menu. Our waitress stopped by and took our order, nachos and burgers. We debated getting a drink or two since the prices were so cheap, but decided not to.

A few minutes later our food arrived. The nachos was the first thing we dove into. They had gooey cheese, sour cream, jalapeños, green onions, and chicken. It was amazing. Next I ate my Western Burger with onion rings, bacon, and BBQ sauce and sweet potato fries with maple syrup on them. Katie had her Jalapeño Burger and their regular seasoned fries. Both meals were so surprisingly delicious that there was none leftover.

We left Big Horn Bar & Grill stuffed to the max and extremely happy we had stopped. Next time we are in Borrego Springs we will be going back. Fair prices and big portions on awesome tasting food is always something we welcome.

Maruya’s Ramen Noodles

After seeing Ryn Weaver in concert Katie and I headed to Little Tokyo in Downtown to get some ramen noodles. Katie had been to this little place called Maruya  before with friends and family and wanted to show it to me.

It took us a while to find it, but when we did we were seated immediately. We took a few minutes to look at the menu and then each ordered a soup which came with a salad and some sushi. It was relatively cheap for the amount of food we got and we weren’t able to finish it all so we took most of it home.

The food came super fast and it was amazing. The salmon sushi cuts were delicious and just melted in your mouth. The soup had the perfect amount of saltiness from the pork and the noodles were just the right size. I couldn’t have complained about anything if I tried.

If you’re ever in Downtown Los Angeles and looking for a great place to get some ramen definitely go to Maruya. You will be so satisfied and pleased that you went you might decide to never go anywhere else for ramen ever again.

The Taco Stand

After a long day of new experiences Katie and I were hungry for some mexican food. And what better place to get some mexican food than in San Diego. Only minutes from the border into Mexico, San Diego has some of the best mexican food restaurants around. This time we were in La Jolla.

Katie’s aunt Sheri walked us to the main street. We were going to try Don Carlos Taco Shop which Sheri and Jim raved about, but when we arrive they were already closed. Guess they close early on Sunday evenings, around 7:00pm. Not to be discouraged or deterred from our mexican food, we headed toward the beach and found another spot.

The Taco Stand is super tiny local spot that was jam packed with people. You could barely move inside as you squeezed past other customers. The line to order was literally out the door and onto the sidewalk. We jumped into line without knowing if it was a new restaurant or if the others in line had been here before. We only hoped that the food would be as delicious as it seemed.

We ordered one pollo asada fries, a carne asada burrito, and two mexican ice cream bars. The wait was average for the size of the crowd they had and soon we had our food and were headed down to the beach eating our ice cream bars as we went. We got a little lost along the way, but eventually figured it out. We took a seat on the wall, ready to devour our food.

The pollo asada fries were heavenly! I couldn’t have asked for them to be done any better. Crispy fries topped with warm chicken, sour cream, avocados and gooey cheese. My mouth is watering just thinking about them now. And the burrito was so flavorful. Just the right amount of greasy goodness wrapped inside a tortilla. We demolished everything leaving not even one crumb behind.

The Taco Stand in La Jolla as absolutely great. I give it 2-thumbs up. It was so good that I’m sorry I wasn’t able to get pictures of our food to show here on the dark beach. Guess you’ll have to just go try some for yourself. I guarantee you’ll love it.

Harry’s Coffee Shop

Just a few minutes away from Katie’s family’s house in La Jolla, CA near San Diego is Harry’s Coffee Shop,  one of Katie’s favorite morning breakfast spots. We took the short morning walk down to the main street and built up quite a big appetite that we only hoped Harry’s could satisfy. We put our name in and waited outside for our table to be ready, about 20 minutes.

In the late 1950’s Harry and his wife Catherine decided to move from New York to Los Angeles. After three years of searching for an ideal location they finally came across La Jolla and set up Harry’s Coffee Shop in 1960. He based his diner off of those that inspired him from Brooklyn and he was up every morning at 5am ready to spend the morning with his guests, which he knew all of them by name. Harry’s still has that local diner feeling today and while we didn’t get to meet Harry himself, we still received the quality food and experience he once strived for.

That morning Katie and I were finally seated inside in one of the far back booths. Katie ordered the french toast and I ordered the bacon pancakes. Once our food arrived and I looked at Katie’s I knew I had made a mistake. Her french toast came complete with strawberries, blueberries, nuts and powder sugar on top while mine had bacon strips on top and through out.

Both of our meals were delicious., though I have to say Katie’s was way better. Her’s was sweet and gooey and just super yummy. Mine was ok, but pancakes always seem a little dry to me unless you completely cover them with syrup which I didn’t feel like doing that day.

We finished our meals and headed out and back to Katie’s family’s house. Harry’s is definitely on our list to go to again next time we are down in San Diego. You should make it a stop on your list too.

La Jolla Brewing Company

While on a short trip to San Diego, Katie and I stayed in La Jolla, CA. After settling into Katie’s family’s house we headed out for a place to eat. A short walk led us to the main street with many options. We eventually stumbled upon La Jolla Brewing Company and decided to give it a try.

La Jolla Brewing Company features their own hand-crafted beer and a 24 tap rotating selection of local San Diego County craft beers. Their in-house beer selection features five signature styles, Pale Ale, IPA, Pub Ale, Dry Stout, and Brown Ale. They also create specialty and seasonal beers to keep their selection fresh and exciting.

We walked past their outdoor seating section and asked to see a menu. We decided to stay and picked a spot overlooking the outdoor seating section since it was too warm to sit inside that evening. We didn’t order any beer, but we did order some food. We got the LJBC Classic Cheeseburger and the BBQ Chicken Pizza.

After a little wait they arrived. The pizza was delicious. It was on flat bread with pieces of chicken, cheese, onions, and fresh cilantro. Once I tried it I couldn’t stop eating it until I was too full to eat another the piece. The burger on the other hand was not up to our standards, it was nothing special.

So stop by La Jolla Brewing Company to get a taste of the local La Jolla beer choices, experience a piece of history, and have a fun and relaxing night. Just get the pizza and skip the burger you should be all good. Oh, and if you want you can bring your dog when you’re enjoying your time on the patio.

Lobster Rolls at The Local Peasant

One Monday early evening while Katie and I were watching her friend’s house we decided to make the short walk to The Local Peasant a bar next door for something to eat. While I had been to the one in Sherman Oaks, Katie had been the only one to have been to the Woodland Hills one before. With no sign letting us know that we were in the right spot except for a tiny menu at the front entrance Katie and I arrived. The weather in Woodland Hills that day was relatively cool so we sat down outside on their patio in a corner booth.

The outside was pretty busy, but inside it was quite empty. We got a menu and a menu for the special of the night which read that Mondays were Lobster Roll Nights. How exciting! I couldn’t pass up a lobster roll so I ordered the lobster roll while Katie ordered a Peasant Burger with cheddar cheese.

Our food came and the burger was good, but the lobster roll was absolutely delicious. It had a bit of spice and dill taste in it and I was super pleased with it. So pleased that I can’t wait to go back on another Monday night and get it again. The burger came with fried egg and onions and was one of the best burgers I had in a while.

Next time you’re in Woodland Hills and looking for a local spot to get dinner or a drink check out The Local Peasant. The calm environment mixed with the scrumptious food is worth giving it a try. They even have some gluten-free and vegan options on their menu.

Stacks of Burgers

After my friend and my hike at Wildwood Park in Thousand Oaks we were starving. An 8 mile hike to Lizard Rock and Paradise Falls will do that to you. Hardly able to think straight and completely exhausted we decided on burgers. We yelped the area and Stacked: Food Built Well came up. They had 4 stars and their burger pictures looked amazing. We immediately headed over there to get something to eat.

The employees at Stacked sat us right away and the hostess gave us a tutorial on how to use their ordering iPad since it was our first time. Here waiters and waitresses don’t take your orders like usual, you use a touch screen iPad to pick and choose what you want. We ordered our drinks with just a push of a button, sending them to the kitchen. We then browsed through the menus they gave us. You can order almost anything you want at Stacked. They have a variety of foods including pizza, burgers, salads and even mac ‘n cheese. You can even customize and create your own meals.

As we waited for our drinks to arrive we ordered our burgers through their touch screen service. I ordered a bacon cheeseburger and chili cheese fries and I can’t remember what Arpy ordered, but it was some kind of burger and onion rings I think. We waited patiently until our food was made and brought to our table. Boy did it look good. We quickly devoured all of it, leaving no table scrap behind. We were stuffed and in food comas before we left, but it was well worth it and we deserved it.

       

Give Stacked: Food Well Built a try next time you are in Thousand Oaks. It’s innovating ordering machines, customizing food selections are sure to keep you satisfied and having fun throughout your meal.

Slater’s 50/50 Burgers

On my way home from a hike with Arpy in Pasadena we decided to stop at Slater’s 50/50. It is located on the corner of Raymond and Union. We pulled up and found a parking spot right on the street outside. A little money in the meter and we headed inside. We were seated by the bar and the atmosphere seemed a lot of fun with TV’s to watch the games, a bar, and a few seating areas.

Slater’s 50/50’s main draw is bacon. They put bacon on everything. In their burgers which are half beef and half bacon, on their burgers, in their ketchup, and even in their milkshakes. We ordered fries with bacon ketchup and onion rings to share and each got a burger. I got a milkshake too.

The milkshake was absolutely delicious! I had never tried a maple bacon milkshake and I was surprised by how good it was. I will be sure to have another next time I see it on a menu and doubly sure to get it when I go back to Stanley’s 50/50. The onion rings and fries were ok, but pretty much the same as everywhere else.

I ordered the 50/50 Frito Crunch Burger and came with a 50/50 bacon and beef patty, American cheese, bacon turkey chili, Fritos, and 1000 island on a brioche it bun. It was super yummy. It had a different texture than most burgers, but that can only be attributed to the bacon mixed in. I couldn’t finish the whole thing so I saved half of it for later.

       

Next time you are in Pasadena and are looking for a place to eat and want to try something new be sure to head over to Stanley’s 50/50. You can’t get a burger like it anywhere else. You’ll be sure to want to go back time and time again.

A Burrito for Two at Las Fuentes

My friend and I were in the mood for mexican food so we decided to try Las Fuentes in Reseda. Las Fuentes has been in business since 1982 and currently has 4 stars on yelp. We headed over, parked the car, and walked in the door. It wasn’t exactly what I expected at first sight. I thought it was going to be a restaurant where you sat down, they took your order and then served you, but like a lot of restaurants in Los Angeles, it is an order at the counter, find yourself a seat and bring your own food and condiments to your table kind of place.

The place looks super authentic inside and out though with mexican paintings on the wall and statues all around. I don’t think they could add more decorations if they tried. And the menu has everything a mexican restaurant should have. Burritos, tacos, nachos, and quesadillas. You name it, they have it.

I was in the mood for a burrito and after seeing the pictures on yelp I couldn’t convince myself to try anything else except a chicken burrito and some amazing chicken nachos. Katie got the chicken tacos and was set to help me eat some of the nachos.

The food was delicious. Everything I tried was perfectly cooked. And the portions are enough to last you several meals, just like most mexican places. I will definitely be back for more and to find out the one thing I forgot to check while I was there, leaving me wondering, do they have chicken asada fries?

Beachwood Cafe

Beachwood Cafe is known for its famous blue door. It is a common stomping ground for grabbing a bite after a hike up to the Hollywood sign. It is located in the original location of The Humpty Dumpty Store, a grocery store, and it became the Beachwood Market in 1933. They expanded and renamed in  the Beachwood Market in 1952 to The Beachwood Coffee Shop. In 2012 Patti Peck took over and turned the shop into today’s Beachwood Cafe.

This small local cafe is said to be a hotspot for celebrities. I didn’t notice anyone the day my friend and I went, but rumor has it that you never know who might come and sit down next to you . Customers were wearing everything from laid back sunday morning outfits to workout clothing complete with sunglasses and hats. We arrived just before the crowd and stepped inside. We were immediately seated and I took a moment to take in the adorable little cafe.

An employee came with glasses, a bottle of water, and menus for us to take a look at. We both decided on the Baked Brioche French Toast. I added the bacon butterscotch sauce while my friend tried the crème fraiche and berry compote.

We didn’t have to wait long before our food arrived. It was pipping hot, steaming and looked better than anything I could have imagined. I wanted to dig right in, but I contained myself and allowed it to cool a bit. My first bite was delicious! It was a mouthful of heaven. The cinnamon, raisin, sugary goodness flooded my tastebuds. I honestly didn’t even need the bacon butterscotch sauce, but on the following bite I used it, which only enhanced the already scrumptious taste. I finished the whole thing without a second thought and sat back completely satisfied.

Beachwood Cafe is great for locals and tourists. It is definitely on the top  of my best breakfast places in Los Angeles list. I can’t wait to go back again and try something different.