Thanksgiving In LA

J and I have not spent Thanksgiving at home since 2006, so our last turkey meal was probably around then.  We generally like to take our overseas trip around this time of year because you have less of the American crowd, and you don't get the outrageous prices or site closures around Christmas time.  We spent Thanksgiving in Moorea in '07, Singapore in '08, and Cafayate in '09.  This year, however, we decided to postpone our trip 'til the end of the year because I didn't want anything to get in the way of my marathon training.  Yes, THE marathon that I ended up having to sit out thanks to my injured aging body.  So we were going to spend Thanksgiving at home this year, but then J got this position in CA, and here we are again, a turkey-less Thanksgiving (not that anyone's complaining as J doesn't like turkey, and I end up eating turkey leftovers for 2 weeks).
While T was toiling away in her kitchen helping her Italian friend prepare an American Thanksgiving meal, we spent Thanksgiving like 'Jews spend Christmas', as she put it, Chinese food and a movie.

A Taiwanese breakfast at Huge Tree Pastry located in Monterey Park.

Salty soy bean milk, a little bland.  J did not like it at all.

Gua Bao 掛包, which I've never heard of before but is actually quite tasty with fatty pork, cilantro, and preserved sour cabbage in between fluffy white 包子.

A peek inside...

Beef with preserved sour cabbage in 燒餅

燒餅油條.  The best 油條 I've had outside Taiwan.  J's verdict on Taiwanese breakfast: Nothing exciting.  I, unfortunately, have to agree that Cantonese breakfast is indeed tastier (this is what happens after 9 years of 'brainwashing').

After walking around in the neighborhood, we headed to Montebello to watch Megamind.  We both thought it was OK.  Nothing spectacular like The Incredibles.

Late lunch was at Sin Bala in Arcadia.  You know the place is good when there's constant flow of customers throughout the afternoon.

麻辣牛肉麵.  The BEST ever!

Their sausage with basil.  Finally something managed to impress J.

J's pork chop noodles.  One would think the pork chop would be in the noodles.  Puzzling...

Of course a Taiwanese meal would not be complete without 鹽疎雞.  These were better than the ones I had at 快可立 in northern CA.

As we were walking around the neighboring plaza we came across JJ Bakery.  There was a long line in the store, so we assumed it had to be good.  So far I haven't been impressed.

Watermelon rolls...cute.

While in the store I overheard a conversation.  A guy wanted 'Happy Thanksgiving' written on the cake he had ordered, but the staff quickly countered, "How about 'Happy Holidays'?" and the man obliged.  I'm thinking to myself, "Why?  Do you not know how to spell 'Thanksgiving'?"  I would have insisted that she write 'Happy Thanksgiving' and personally double check the spelling, just because...

The day was wrapped up with shaved ice at Class 302 in Rowland.

The decor inside was like a typical Taiwanese classroom with the wooden desks, chairs, and blackboard.  Brought back memories...

J and I shared a huge serving of shaved ice topped with strawberries and mango.  He saw something else he wanted to try (J has a bad habit of eating his food but checking out what everyone else is eating), so we're going back again tonight.  

San Francisco Day 2.5

OK, this was a short trip as we didn't even get to spend 3 whole days in SF.  We took the 8 AM ferry from Sausalito to catch our 1PM flight back to Tucson.  Since we had 2 hours to kill in SF we made a bee-line to Chinatown again, as Boccalone wasn't open that time of day.  J was looking for some Vietnamese beef stew (yes, for breakfast), but none were open until 10AM.  So we settled for the first decent place we came across, which we found out later was a huge mistake.

Washington Bakery & Restaurant - a bakery in the front and a restaurant in the back.

J had the 皮蛋瘦肉粥 with 油條

and some tasty 牛暔車仔麵 for me.  

Since I didn't know what kind of noodles 車仔麵 were, I asked the lady:

Me: What kind of noodles are these?

Lady {looking at me indignantly}: They're noodles.

Me: But what kind?

Lady {with a deadpan look}: Noodles.

Me: {OK, you win}

-------------------

After breakfast, J wanted to sit around because he was carrying the pack, but I wanted to check out the city.

J: You want to sit in the park?

Me: Why?

J: There are Chinese people in the park?

Me: What's the big deal about Chinese people?  I see your Chinese face everyday.  I want Chinese food.

As we walked on, we started to realize our mistake for settling for the first restaurant we stumbled upon.  Should have had this...

And this...

The place was crowded and got us wondering why.  We had actually walked on after debating whether to bring some back with us to Tucson.  After crossing the street, I had this nagging feeling that we were missing something good, so we doubled back, and were we glad we did.  

By the time J got the goods, the line was out the door...

(can you find Waldo?)

We somehow missed this little 'accolade' during our first pass.

We didn't actually get to taste anything until we landed in Phoenix.  The 鹹水角(2), 叉燒飽(2), and 糯米雞(1) were ginormous and absolutely delicious, and only costed $4.20 for all five.  This place is even better than Hop Sing in NYC Chinatown which has since closed, thanks to greedy landlords.  Wish we had gotten more, and we'll definitely hit the place again if we're ever back visiting SF or have some time in between flight transfers in SF.

View towards the water from Nob Hill

Five Guys Burgers and Fries

Tucson has finally decided to join the rest of the civilized world.  We now have a Five Guys Burgers and Fries that just opened this week.  J & I have actually never had their burgers, but with all the hype we decided to check it out today.  As expected there was a line, however, the line wasn't nearly as long as when In-N-Out opened their first store here in Tucson in 2007 (the Tucson opening broke company records of most burgers sold in one day and in one week).  

Fuzzy picture, taken by J.  To give him credit though, this was snapped from a moving car.

In line, waiting to order.

I wonder if the stacks of ingredients, separating the line and the dining area, are part of the decor or a sign that the restaurant's not completely renovated...

Finally some food.  I had the regular burger with everything on it, while J had the bacon cheeseburger with the works, and we shared a small order of cajun fries.

So what's the verdict?  The burger is very juicy and on par with Carl's Jr, another West coast burger joint.  I'd say if you want a greasy burger then Five Guys is better than In-N-Out.  INO's burger tastes 'cleaner' and fresher.  Five Guys fries were quite a disappointment after hearing everyone rave about the fries.  You know who makes the best fries in the world?  McDonald's!  

Five Guys does have the best $5 burger, Carl's Jr has the best $4 and $6 burger (their trademark Six Dollar Burger actually costs under $4), and INO has the best $3 burger...

So what would be the ideal burger meal for me?  

1. Carl's Jr Six Dollar burger

2. McDonald's fries

3. In-N-Out's vanilla shake

4. J picking up the tab

Vero Amore

I've mentioned Vero Amore and their Neopolitan pizza a few times before on this blog, but never got a chance to put up any pictures.  Their pizzas are simple but very flavorful and fresh tasting.  

J had the pizza Anima - Andouille sausage, smoked Mozzerella, and parmesan 

I went out on a limb and tried their cioppino, which was flavorful, but for the price I wish I had ordered their pizza instead.  Note to self: only order pizzas from Vero Amore from now on.

Mussels, clams, calamari, and shrimp with 2 garlic bread slices and very little pasta.

Mom had their humongous salami panini.  Their paninis look plain, but are extremely tasty.  Dad had their pizza Lussuria, which is my personal favorite.  However, I refrained from taking pictures diagonally across the table as I was starting to feel like a country bumpkin.

This place is a definite must when you come to Tucson.  We've brought almost every single one of our visitors to Vero Amore, and no one's been disappointed. 

Magpies

This one's for you over there in Asia.  I'll bet it's difficult to find decent pizza where you are...

Magpie's (short for Magnificent Pie): the best 'American' pizza in Tucson.  I would say it's the 3rd best after Vero Amore, which serves neopolitan pizza, and Grimaldi's, your NY style pizza.

The 'Magpie' pie: Italian sausage, pepperoni, mushroom, and the usual stuff on a pizza pie.  A bit doughy.  Kind of reminds me of Domino's, which is a compliment because I admit I LOVE Domino's (most 'pizza elitists' would call me a blasphemer for saying that; I know because I live with one).

Texture close up...

Need To Go On A Diet

{Last night}
J: Honey, are you losing weight?
{This is J's way of saying: Honey, it doesn't look to me like you're losing weight, are you eating too much?}


The truth is when dinner is waiting on the table for you everyday after work, it's hard not to eat too much.  Normally, J and I would be eating cereal or whatever we can find after work, but since the parents have been here we've been eating regular meals.  It also doesn't help that we've been going out more often to eat on weekends since they've been here.

Famous Dave's, originated in Minnesota, is known for excellent BBQ...

The 1/2 All American Festival: Brisket, ribs, chicken, corn bread, fries, corn, beans with bacon, and cole slaw served on a garbage lid.  This serving is meant for a party of 2-3, but it was enough for this family of 4.

Truffalo was just put on a diet as he was gaining weight from all the peanut butter and ice cream his grandpa was giving him.  I will need to follow suit before running starts becoming a chore while carrying all those extra pounds.

P.F. Chang's

SUCKS!  I've never been shy about my feeling's towards over-priced, bastardized Chinese food, and P.F. Chang's is the worst offender.  You honestly couldn't pay me to eat their food.  So guess what I got in the mail today?

A PFC $10 gift card.

'Courtesy' of the Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Marathon, which was sponsored by PFC.

J actually opened the mail.

J {all excited}: Hey, it's a $10 gift card from P.F. Chang's.

{Note: J isn't excited because it's PFC, but because it's FREE}

Me: Yuck!  I'll just give it to one of the co-workers.

J: No way, I'm going to use it for lunch.

Me: Do whatever you want.  Just don't include me.

I'd rather pour hot scalding oil down my throat...

El Tour De South Tucson

Having lived in Tucson for the last 4 years we never had the desire to visit places south of the U of A, mostly because South Tucson conjures up images of cholos and drive by shootings.  That is until the sister-in-law sent us an article featuring eateries on 12th Ave in South Tucson.  When it comes to food, nothing will stand between J and his empanadas, including these guys...

So, today I risked my life for the team and hit a couple of places...

First stop, Oasis Fruit Cones.  Notice the metal screens covering the entire storefront.  Very reassuring...

However, their raspados are better than the ones we get at the mall.

While sitting outside the store enjoying my snow cone and watching all the low riders drive by, I couldn't help but feel like a sitting duck (dressed in bright pink).

Next stop was BK.  This joint is similar to El Guero Canelo, serving up steak tacos and Sonoran hot dogs.  The original El Guero Canelo is actually located diagonally across the street from BK.

Yum!  Carne asada, pastor, and fish tacos...

With the condiments piled high...

However, if you want authentic mexican tacos, you can catch a shuttle to Hermosillo.

Finally for dessert, we quickly stopped in La Estrella.  Again, note the metal bars outside the entrance...

Various baked goods...

How shall I put it?  NYC subway churros taste ten times better.  You can probably skip this place.

We made it out of South Tucson in an hour, and more importantly in one piece no less.  Would I go back?  Probably not since El Guero Canelo has a branch closer to us if we ever want steak tacos.  As for raspados, why would anyone need that when you've got this...

 

We saw this outside of Lee Lee for the first time today.  Unfortunately, they were having power issues so we couldn't try it.  Rest assured we'll be there next week.