Baby Cakes Baking Company - Cupcakes, Muffins and Coffee - Torrance, CA

When someone mentions cupcakes, there are usually two places that are at the forefront of peoples' minds...both of which are preceded by their reputations and the long lines associated with trying their wares. The East Coast has Magnolia Bakery in New York City, who's popularity has definitely been bolstered by appearances on shows like Sex and the City and in NYC based movies like The Devil Wears Prada. On the other side of the country, in Beverly Hills lies Sprinkles Cupcakes. With features on many TV talkshows and in popular shows like HBO's Entourage, it's no wonder that Hollywood is in an uproar for Sprinkles cupcakes. The problem with both of these places is that in order to enjoy either of their tantalizing little cakes of goodness, you have to deal with long lines and a long wait. Not liking waiting in line for anything (and I have stood in line for both Magnolia AND Sprinkles), I was sure that there just had to be another alternative...one that wouldn't require me to spend all day in line for a few minutes of culinary pleasure. Luckily (for us all), I've found it in the Baby Cakes Baking Company in Torrance, CA...

It was really just coincidence that we found Baby Cakes. My wife just happened to get a flyer/coupon for Baby Cakes and thought it looked interesting. I particularly loved the name. We happened to be running some errands in that area one day and stopped in to give it a try.

The bakery is tucked away on a little strip at the corner of Hawthorne Boulevard and PCH in Torrance. It's an unassuming looking place with a nice sign and a clean and simply decorated interior. Originally, our plan was just to stop in and pick up a cupcake or two just to give it a try but we ended up walking out of there with a half-dozen. It all looked (and smelled) so good that we just couldn't help ourselves. We really wanted to try them all but had to exercise at least SOME restraint. I mean...it is only the two of us that would be eating them after all.

When we first walked into the bakery, from across the room I spotted just what I was hoping that they would have. I spotted the tell-tale color that could only be one thing...Red Velvet cupcakes. I fell in love with Red Velvet cupcakes several years ago while visiting New York City's Buttercup Bake Shop (started by one of the original partners of Magnolia). They just always seem to be more moist and tastier than your average "vanilla" cupcake, and the ones from Baby Cakes didn't disappoint. The Red Velvet cake was perfectly moist, and the icing was the perfect sweetness. It is cupcake perfection.

The next one we tried was the Italian Orange. This cupcake is corn meal based, making for quite a different taste and consistency than your average cupcake. It definitely is not as sweet as the others so this would probably be a wise choice for someone not so keen on sweets. While it was not my favorite, it was very good and definitely worth a try.

Next up was the Rich Chocolate w/ Chocolate Mousse. This cupcake is ideal for the true chocolate lover as it features a rich, moist chocolate cake topped with a creamy chocolate mousse icing. Being a chocolate lover myself, I could eat these things for days. If you're a chocoholic like myself, this one is on the must-have list.

The last cupcake we tried was the Vanilla w/ Vanilla Bean Buttercream. As the name suggests, it's a vanilla cupcake topped with Vanilla Bean Buttercream for icing. What isn't evident from the name is that this cupcake is filled with a fresh whipped cream filling. The cupcake alone is really good...the filling is just, "the icing on the cake" so to speak. This cupcake is sweet, creamy and oh-so delectable. Definitely a must-have.

While the cupcakes we had were all very different in flavor, there is one thing that was the same through out; the quality and freshness. All of the cupcakes we had were fresh and moist and it's evident that they are made in small, labor-of-love, batches. Lucky for us, there wasn't any line to wait in either(at least not yet). It was walk-in, order, and eat. No lines, no waiting. Although, I suspect that this may eventually change as the word gets out (no thanks to me and this blog). Now that i've found the Baby Cakes Baking Company I can formally say..."Sprinkles, who?"

Baby Cakes Baking Company
24205 Hawthorne Boulevard
Torrance, CA 90505
310-373-2500
http://www.babycakesshop.com

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Five Guys Burgers & Fries - Burgers & French Fries - Reisterstown, MD

It's no secret that I've been a burger lover for a long, long time. A good, juicy burger really holds a special place in my heart. So simple, yet so satisfying. Knowing that, my friends back in Baltimore have been dying to take me to a new burger joint that opened up a little after my wife and I made the move out West. We've been back to visit several times since we moved, but the trips have always been very short (usually a long weekend) and it just wasn't in the cards to make it to everywhere I wanted to eat while we were there. Luckily, during our most recent trip back for Christmas, we had some spare time (took a week off from work) to dedicate to foodie endeavors. Five Guys Burgers and Fries was a must-have stop so I could try what my friends had all been calling, "The Best Burger in Baltimore" for the past year or so.

A quick look at the Five Guys website reveals several of the reviews of the Five Guys burger. Phrases such as "Voted #1 Burger" and "Reader's choice burger" seem to be quite popular in the short list of reviews, etc. Interesting. Honestly, I don't really trust the reviews of the magazines and so-called experts so i'll be the judge of that.

The menu is pretty simple (a good thing). You have your choice from a short list of hamburgers, cheeseburgers, and hot dogs with various toppings. I ordered a Bacon Cheeseburger(medium rare of course!) on the recommendation of a friend. He swears they have the best bacon. I also got a side of Five Guys Fries and a drink (Barq's Rootbeer). After a short wait, my number was called and I was ready to sink my teeth into "Baltimore's Best Burger". The first bite was greeted with a nice healthy "crunch" after my teeth broke through the bun. It wasn't the crunch from some crisp lettuce, it was the crunch that can only come from some nice, thick and crispy bacon. Mmm...Bacon. The meat was pretty juicy and tender, but what really made it for me was, as my friend had predicted, the Bacon. This was the bacon of all bacon for cheeseburger joints. For some reason though, the bacon didn't show up in my crappy, taken with my phone, pics. This is just affirmation of my need for a nice Digital SLR for my foodie adventures!

So was it Baltimore's Best Burger? Well, living in SoCal, I'm a little out of the loop with burgers in Baltimore but based on my previous experience with burger joints in Baltimore (and I've eaten A LOT of burgers over the years) i'd have to agree. Was it the best burger i've ever had? Definitely not. For now, that title goes to Teddy's Bigger Burgers in Honolulu, Hawaii but unfortunately that was before I started this blog and started taking pics of all my food adventures. Oh well, I guess i'll just have to make another trip out for some surf and burgers just for the sake of writing a blog post (now THAT'S a good excuse for a trip!).
Anyway, if you happen to be near a Five Guys Burgers and Fries definitely give it a try. I'd highly recommend the Bacon Cheeseburger just for the bacon alone. Can't go wrong with thick, crispy bacon!

Five Guys Burgers & Fries
11708 Reisterstown Road
Reisterstown, MD 21136
410-526-8975
http://www.fiveguys.com

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Joe's Pizza of Bleecker Street NYC - New York Style Pizza - Santa Monica, CA

Being a native East Coaster, I have come to notice that there are certain city specific foods that just aren't available here on the left coast. Well, it's not that they're not represented at all; it's that they're just not represented well. The first things that come to mind are Philadelphia Cheesesteaks (Pat's is KING in my book!), Buffalo Wings, and of course New York Style Pizza. In the 2 years that i've lived in SoCal i've tried several places that advertise that they make an authentic New York Style Pizza but they've all fallen short, despite having owners that were themselves Native New Yorkers. What's up with that? I had all but given up on the idea of finding an authentic slice of New York Style Pizza here in California and was starting to think that maybe there really was something in the water that just made everything taste different here. That is, until Joe's Pizza of Bleecker Street opened up shop in Santa Monica.

In my younger years, I spent many a late night out and about in New York City. While hangin out with the P.I.C. boys after a great show at Arlene's Grocery on the Lower East Side, there's nothing that satisfies that late night, drunken hunger like a good slice of New York Pizza. What really differentiates New York Pizza from other pizzas is the thin and crispy crust and the large, foldable slices. You can usually get toppings if you wish, but for me the true NY pizza experience is had with the "plain" version...just straight sauce and cheese. I've tried it with toppings added (and I usually LOVE toppings on pizza, especially the meats) but for NY Pizza plain is the way to go. There's something about the purity of just sauce and cheese that fits perfectly with the NY style crust. I think it's the fact that the crust is thin, and adding toppings has a tendency of overpowering the flavor of the crust. It's all about balance, really.

When my wife told me another NY Pizza joint had opened up shop in Santa Monica, I was a bit apprehensive. Many have tried, and so far all have failed at making an authentic NY Style Pizza here in California so what would make this place any different? One fine SoCal afternoon, I pushed the apprehension aside and my wife and I made the small trek up to Santa Monica from the South Bay to meet one of our foodie friends (who happens to be a native East Coaster as well) at Joe's Pizza. Luckily, I was pleasantly surprised and the short trip was well worth it. We ordered a large pie (plain of course!) and some drinks. The smell in the place was fantastic, and the pizza definitely didn't disappoint. The hand-tossed crust was thin and perfectly crispy. The slices were nicely sized an the sauce and cheese tasted fresh and tasty. I wouldn't say it's 100% authentic to the pizza found on the streets of New York City but it's close, damn close. Probably as close as you're ever going to get being over 3000 miles away from the real deal. So, to any of you transplanted Native New Yorkers looking for a taste of home, or any one else looking for a taste of the Big Apple, check out Joe's Pizza. It's worth a try.

Now, for the negatives. Being in the touristy part of Santa Monica, parking is limited. The place is also really small and definitely fits the description of a "joint". There's only a few inside and outside tables so pray that when you go it's not busy. Or, you can order a pie and take it to go but honestly the pizza is best eaten when fresh out of the oven so you might lose a little something if you take it to go.

Joe's Pizza of Bleecker Street NYC
111 Ocean Avenue
Santa Monica, CA 90401
310-395-9222
http://www.joespizza.com

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Philippe - French Dipped Sandwiches - Los Angeles, CA

Aaahhh...the French Dipped Sandwich. How could you not love a sandwich filled with hot roast beef and cheese and dipped in salty, beef flavored au jus? I've always been a fan of the French Dip but had never known that it's origin was based in LA until moving to the LA area. Here in LA there are 2 establishments that hotly debate over who is the originator of the French Dip; the first of which is Philippe's.

According to Philippe's website, Philippe's was established in 1908 by a French immigrant by the name of Philippe Mathieu. Legend has it that one day in 1918 Philippe was preparing a sandwich for a policeman and mistakenly dropped the french roll for the sandwich into the roasting pan drippings. Apparently the policeman liked the sandwich so much that he came back the next day and brought along friends to try the sandwich "dipped in the meat pan". And hence, the French Dip was born; allegedly so named because of Philippe's French heritage, because it is served on a "French" roll, or because the Police Officer's name happened to be (unbelievably) Officer French. Regardless of the history of the sandwich, I had to give this alleged originator a taste to see what all the hubub was about and to compare the real deal to what I had come to know as the French Dip.

My wife and I met our usual foodie buddies over at Philippe's in LA on a fine SoCal afternoon. The menu is pretty simple with French Dipped sandwiches being offered with a choice of 5 different meats (Beef, Pork, Lamb, Ham or Oven Roasted Turkey). You can add your choice of cheese (Swiss, American, Monterey Jack or Bleu Cheese) and choose between having it single or double-dipped in au jus. I ordered the Beef French Dipped sandwich with Swiss for myself and a Lamb for my wife; both double dipped. We also got a macaroni salad side order, a Chocolate Creme Pie for dessert, and some Lemonade to wash it all down.

My Beef French Dip was good...really good...perfectly soaked with tasty Au Jus. My only complaint is that I wish it came with a side of Au Jus for you to dip in for added flavor as I felt at times that it definitely needed it despite being double-dipped. My wife's Lamb was pretty good too, but the beef was better. The problem I found with the Lamb was that some of the meat was a bit on the dry side. Both my wife and I agreed that next time around we'll just be getting the Beef. As for the sides and desserts, they were decent too but let's be honest...that's not what people go to Philippe's for. People flock from all over the LA area for their French Dipped Sandwiches and in my opinion, It's well worth the drive regardless of where you're driving from. I guess next i'll have to try out the other alleged originator of the "French Dip" for a comparison. PE Cole's Buffet here I come! Stay Tuned!

Philippe
The Original French Dipped Sandwiches
1001 North Alameda Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
213-628-3781
http://www.philippes.com

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Havana Sandwich Company - Cuban Food - El Segundo, CA

My wife (thankfully!) turned me on to the Sandwich Cubano (Cuban Sandwich) several years ago at a great little Cuban restaurant we found during a trip to Orlando, Florida and i've had a love affair with them ever since. This sandwich really has my name all over it...slices of roast pork, ham, swiss cheese, and pickles dressed with mustard come together inside of some nice crusty Cuban bread that has all been perfectly toasted in a sandwich press. The beauty of the Cuban sandwich for me really lies in the layers of flavor each bite awards the taste buds with. You get the rich flavor of the roast pork (Mmmm...roast pork), the saltiness of the ham, the bite from the mustard, and the sourness from the pickles in every crunchy, breaded bite. Granted, the crusty bread usually has a tendency to do a number on the roof of my mouth, but that's a small price to pay for the satisfaction given by a good Sandwich Cubano.

In a place like Florida that is in close geographic proximity to Cuba itself it isn't too hard to find really good Cuban food. I mean, Florida was the first stop in the US for many Cuban refugees, many of which made Florida their permanent home here in the US. So naturally there are many Cuban restaurants there. Unfortunately, we are on the opposite side of the country and authentic Cuban restaurants aren't as easy to come by here in SoCal. Ever since moving to the LA area though, i've been in search of a good Sandwich Cubano. My wife tipped me off to this place she found online, The Havana Sandwich Company in El Segundo, and I thought my prayers were answered. Unfortunately, we must be too far from Cuba or something because the meal we had there was definitely a bit on the disappointing side.

We took a short drive over to El Segundo one evening to give the Havana Sandwich Company a taste and see if I could satisfy this long-standing craving for a good Sandwich Cubano. When we got there, first thing I noticed was that the place was empty. Not a good sign. Granted, it was later in the evening and this place is probably more popular for lunch, etc. but the sight of an empty restaurant wasn't too encouraging. The signs boast of having the Best Cuban Sandwiches in the world so I put any reservations from my initial impression aside and headed on in. Once inside, we ordered the Papas Rellenas as an appetizer, an Original Cuban Sandwich, and the Ropa Vieja Havana plate.

First, let's start with the Papas Rellenas. The Papas Rellenas (3 potato balls stuffed with beef & pork) were disappointingly overcooked. They definitely spent too much time in the deep fryer and ended up being a bit on the dry side. They probably would have been pretty tasty had they not been overcooked, but in their present state they were less than appetizing. Strike 1.
Next up was what I came here for; the Cuban Sandwich. Maybe my standards are just too high from having eaten Cuban Sandwiches from some really good places, but this sandwich was thoroughly disappointing. The pork didn't seem to have much flavor and there was barely any pickles in it making for a pretty flavorless sandwich overall. The pork and pickles are the highlights of the Cuban sandwich and for some reason the pork used in this sandwich just didn't light up my taste buds like a proper roast pork should. To say I was disappointed is an understatement. Strike 2!
The last chance for this place was the Ropa Vieja Havana plate. Ropa Vieja (which translates to "Old Clothes") is a traditional Cuban dish usually made from shredded flank steak tenderly cooked in a tomato based sauce. The Ropa Vieja from Havana Sandwich Company came along with a side of rice and some black beans...both of which are regular accompaniments with many Cuban dishes. Unfortunately, the third time was not a charm as again I found the Ropa Vieja to be a little lacking in the flavor department. The rice and black beans were good but the beef was a bit on the bland side. Strike 3!

So that makes for 3 different items and 3 seperate disappointments. Overall I have to say that the Havana Sandwich Company was a big disappointment. After reading some of the reviews on Yelp I had high hopes for this place but it definitely didn't live up to the hype. In all honesty, from this first experience I wouldn't even bother to make a second trip. I'd rather spend the time trying to find a good Cuban Sandwich rather than wasting time with flavorless ones.

Havana Sandwich Company
229 Main Street
El Segundo, CA 90245
310-640-0014

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Lawry's The Prime Rib - Prime Rib Steakhouse - Beverly Hills, CA

If it wasn't for the part of my brain that thinks I should eat somewhat "healthy" (whatever that means, anyway) from time to time, I would probably be as close to a full fledged carnivore as a human can possibly get. No, not an omnivore that east everything, but a full fledged, practically meat only carnivore...well, with the exception of a side of rice or potatoes or some kind of starch to wash it all down. Being a meat-eating maniac, for some reason i've never been a big fan of prime rib. Not that I dislike prime rib or anything...it just has never been my favorite cut and I'm not exactly sure why. Prime rib to me has always been a very tender cut, but for one reason or another I have always thought that prime rib lacked some of the flavor found in some of the other cuts. That is, until I tried a proper prime rib...

Some good friends from back east were in town last week for work related training. Needing a break from their hectic training schedule, a good meat-centric dinner was in order and Lawry's seemed like the perfect place. With my wife and I in the South Bay and our friends coming from Woodland Hills, Beverly Hills seemed like an ideal meeting place...being somewhat centrally located between our two areas. Now, I must take a moment here to voice one of my gripes with the LA area...the figgin ridiculous traffic. We made the mistake of taking the 405 to the 10 to get to the restaurant, and what should have been a 25 to 30 minute drive ended up taking us almost an hour and a half. Technically, I believe it is only about 20 miles door to door so anything over an hour is absolutely ridiculous. Aaahh...now I remember why I live 2.5 non-freeway miles from work...

By the time we got to the restaurant, I was a little grumpy from the drive (if you can call sitting in traffic driving) but luckily not feeling extremely hungry. Or so I thought. When we got escorted from the lobby into the dining area that all changed...drastically. The second I stepped into the dining room, the smell of superbly cooked meat assaulted my senses and vigorously stirred the beast that lurked within. By the time we arrived at our table, I had gone from feeling moderately hungry to feeling completely famished. It's amazing how strongly the sense of smell is tied to the stomach and the desire to feed. Time to tame the beast.

Lawry's specializes in USDA certified, rock salt roasted cuts of prime rib beef. There are 5 different "cuts" available...differing only in size from one to the other. Every dinner comes with Lawry's spinning bowl salad, yorkshire pudding, mashed potatoes w/ gravy, and their famous whipped cream horseradish. They also have a selection of additional sides like sauteed mushrooms and creamed corn that you can order with your dinner. After much taunting from my fellow tablemates to order the Beef Bowl cut (their largest cut), I settled on the Lawry's Cut...their original (since 1938) generously sized cut that measures approximately 10 ounces without the bone, cooked medium rare. For accompaniment, I ordered the creamed corn as well as an order of the sauteed mushrooms for the table. After a short wait, and some scintillating conversation the prime rib chef made a visit to our table with his shiny, apparently world famous, prime rib cart chock full of perfectly roasted prime rib.

Like I said previously, I ordered the Lawry's Cut. Unfortunately, I completely forgot to take pictures of my dinner as I was completely and utterly distracted. What was I distracted by? No, it wasn't the insane hunger that seethed through my being. It wasn't the enjoyment of being around old friends. Instead, I was distracted by the fact that one of my tablemates ordered the Beef Bowl Cut (the pictures contained herein are of said Beef Bowl Cut). Like I mentioned earlier, the Beef Bowl Cut is the largest cut that Lawry's has on the menu. According to our waitress, it measures about 22 ounces without the bone. That, by itself, isn't distractingly amazing but then you have to take into account that the tablemate that ordered said Beef Bowl is of the feminine persuasion. Not only is she female, but she is a very small, petite female. And she finished most of it too...save for a good amount of meat surrounding the bone. Impressive. I have an appetite of legend amongst my friends and I have to admit, watching her eat that Beef Bowl kinda made me glad I didn't order it as well as I would have been forced to finish it for fear of looking like a pansy.

Anyway, everything on the menu was good. The Prime Rib....fantastically rare...just the way I like it with loads of flavor that seems to be lacking at most other prime rib places. Why is that? Could it be the special Lawry's seasoning salt? Could it be that they sprinkle crack on as a special seasoning prior to cooking? Who knows!, but whatever it is they're doing at Lawry's that's different from the other places definitely makes a difference. I'm not saying that i've been converted to prime rib as my personal favorite cut but it definitely has jumped up several notches...all thanks to Lawry's.

Lawry's The Prime Rib
100 N. La Cienega Boulevard
Beverly Hills, CA 90211
(310) 652-2827
http://www.lawrysonline.com

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Santouka - Japanese Ramen - Torrance, CA

My wife and I have been to Mitsuwa Marketplace many times since we moved to SoCal. However, our trips there are rarely ever to shop in the market...we go there mainly to eat at the food court. Mitsuwa's food court has around 7 or 8 (currently) small food stalls, mostly Japanese with one Chinese place and one Japanese Style Italian place. All of the places we've tried make pretty good food...especially considering it's a food court. On top of that, everything is fairly cheap making Mitsuwa's food court a great, quick, and cheap lunchtime stop. While we've been to this food court on several occasions, for one reason or another I never tried the ramen at Santouka...a place tucked into one of the corners of the food court. What a shame...I had no idea what I was missing...

On previous trips to Mitsuwa I had looked at the menu at Santouka, and everything looked good, but I think my wallet always dissuaded me from eating there. You see, I always walk around the food court, peruse the offerings from the different places, and make the decision of what to eat based on, A.-What kind of a food mood i'm in, and B.-How much cash I have in my money clip at the time (these places are all CASH ONLY!). Now, I don't like to carry much cash around (if I have it my pocket i'm more likely to spend it more freely) so usually I only have a few bucks at my disposal. When I would compare the prices of what I would get at some of the other places ($5-6) to what I would get at Santouka ($11+), that decision would already be made for me. Now, I know what you're thinking...Yes, there IS a Bank of America ATM in Mitsuwa, and I AM a loyal B of A customer, but it always seems like every time I go there and try to pull out cash, the thing is always out of service. Go figure. I must just have crap luck or something.

Anyway, this time was different. This time I had cash in hand and was ready to go. My wife and I were out running errands and happened to be driving by Mitsuwa when hunger and the desire for food struck us both (which practically happens every hour, on the hour for me at least). So, we stopped into Mitsuwa for a quick bite. Just wanting a small snack of a meal, we decided to share a combo from Santouka. We ordered the B-set combination with Shoyu Ramen and Ikura Gohan. The Shoyu Ramen features a soy sauce based broth with slices of pork chashu ad fish cake garnished with a little seaweed and scallions. Ikura Gohan is basically a pile of salmon roe over a bowl of steamed white rice.

I tasted the Ikura Gohan first. Ikura (salmon roe) is a salt lovers wet dream. They're basically little balloons filled with a very flavorful salt mixture. Every bite is met with a delicious little "pop" as the roe bursts releasing it's salty goodness. The rice complements the Ikura perfectly and provides a nice balace to the concentrated salty flavor of the Ikura.
Next up, the Shoyu Ramen. My first bite was a chopstick full of ramen noodles. Mmmm...noodles were cooked well...al dente...Just the way I like them (actually, I take that back, I like them slighty firmer). Good start so far. Next was a sip of the Shoyu broth. MMmmm...more salty goodness. Excitement level rising. Third, was a bite of the Chashu pork. MMMM!...fatty, tasty swine! Ding, Ding, DING! We Have a winner!! Wow, each of these ingredients could easily be enjoyed alone...but put them together into one salty and savory bowl and i'm in heaven. My taste buds received a symphony of textures and flavors that made for an incredible little meal. Nevermind that it's 90 degrees out and i'm slurping down a bowl of scalding hot ramen and broth and sweating my ass off. Whatever, it was well worth it. Wait a minute... are we sitting in a food court? That's proposterous! How is this possible? This just can't be. I must be dreaming.

Is this the best bowl of Ramen I have ever had? Hmm...I dunno about the best, but damn close. It's definitely neck and neck with my previous favorite ramen place...Hakata Ramen. The Chashu pork at Santouka is definitely far and above the pork used at Hakata though. It tastes like it was made at home by a very passionate chef. Fatty, tender, and loaded with flavor. Heavenly. However, I think what I really like about Hakata is the option to customize your ramen (noodle hardness, soup strength, oil, and other toppings). That really is the kicker for me. Regardless, Santouka makes an amazing bowl of ramen...especially considering it is in a food court. Scratch that, it's an amazing bowl of ramen regardless of whether it's in a food court or some fancy restaurant. A good bowl of ramen is a good bowl of ramen no matter where it's made...and this is a GOOD BOWL OF RAMEN! Now I just need to go back and try the Shio Ramen that everyone seems to rave about. People swear it's the best...we'll see about that...

Santouka Ramen
21515 Western Avenue
Torrance, CA 90501
(310) 212-1101

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Aunt Kizzy's Backporch - Southern/Soul Food - Marina Del Rey, CA

Soul food and Southern style cooking has always had a special place in my heart...err, I mean stomach. There's something about that style of cooking that just speaks to my soul...must be how the food got the name. While i've never been to the deep south (other than just passing through during the drive out west from Baltimore) and experienced real, in it's element, southern cooking, I can only assume that it is as good or better than what i've experienced at the random soul food restaurants I have been to over the years. Regardless of my inexperience, I love it none-the-less and Aunt Kizzy's definitely fits the bill...

For almost every style of food that I have had, I usually have a standard dish that I like to order when trying a new restaurant. Having a standard dish gives me a frame of measure for the food that the resaurant makes...a yardstick if you will. For Southern Style food, that yardstick for me is fried chicken...there's nothin that speaks to the soul better than some good friend chicken. And Aunt Kizzy didn't dissapoint.

Wait, we need to back up for a second...i'm getting ahead of myself. Before the entrees, I HAVE to point out one thing...the cornbread muffins. First off, I love bread as a pre-meal appetizer, but I absolutely LOVE good cornbread. And Aunt Kizzy's corbread muffins are king. They're the perfect balance of sweet, moist and chewy. Absolutely delicious. Good thing they only bring a few out at a time as I would surely keep eating them if given the chance. I could probably fill up on the muffins, call it night and be happy...they're that good. The only cornbread I like better is my wife's...and no i'm not saying that out of obligation...

Ok, back to the topic at hand....the entrees. Aunt Kizzy's has a good selection of southern dishes from Chicken & Dumplings to Pork Chops to Jambalaya to Short Ribs to Fried Catfish...the tantalizing list goes on and on. Everything on the menu sounds extremely appetizing, but as I said earlier...gotta stick with the yardstick. So Fried Chicken it was for me and man was I impressed. The Colonel ain't got nothin on Aunt Kizzy! Even Popeye himself is a weakling in the presence of Aunt Kizzy!

This fried chicken is battered and seasoned well then deep fried to perfection. The first bite into my leg was met with a nice crunch from the skin followed by a rush of flavor from the juicy meat inside. Fried chicken doesn't get much better than this. For sides, I got the Macaroni and Cheese, Mashed Potatoes (both also old stand-bys for me) and cornbread stuffing (did I mention I liked cornbread?). All served as the perfect accompanyment to the fried chicken. I was in heaven and my soul definitely wore a big grin at the end of this meal.

My wife, who accompanies me on most of my eating trysts, ordered the Deep Fried Catfish. For sides, she settled on the Collard Greens (she loves Collard Greens), Macaroni & Cheese, and white rice w/ gravy (must be the asian thing). I got to sample her catfish, and thought it was pretty decent. My wife on the other hand just thought it was "ok". She thought it was missing something...maybe lacking a little flavor. For me, it definitely was overshadowed by the Fried Chicken. Had I just had the Catfish by itself, my opinion may have been better but the chicken definitely skewed my taste buds. I guess another trip is in order just to try the catfish or some of the other dishes, but knowing how good the chicken is, it will be hard to order anthing else...

Aunt Kizzy's is rumored to be the best Southern Food in LA. Based on this experience, I wouldn't doubt it. The Fried Chicken alone is worth the drive from anywhere in the LA area....maybe even further. Just make sure to bring your appetite because the portions definitely don't disappoint...especially if you ask for more cornbread muffins.

Aunt Kizzy's Backporch
4325 Glencoe Avenue
Marina Del Rey, CA 90292
(310) 578-1005
http://www.auntkizzys.com

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Sanuki no Sato - Japanese Noodle House - Gardena, CA

I have always been a big fan of Japanese Nabeyaki Udon. Ever since I was a wee little budding foodie, if I went to a Japanese restaurant and they had Nabeyaki Udon on the menu there was a high probability I was going to order it. I mean, how can you go wrong with thick udon noodles, some deep fried shrimp tempura, and select veggies in a savory broth? After hearing about Sanuki no Sato and that udon and noodles were their specialty, I just had to check it out...

The restaurant is well decorated in a very nice, minimalistic style. In the "lobby" hang polaroids of what looks to be the owner posing with various Japanese people. Since I vaguely recognize a face or two in the photos, I assume that they must be Japanese celebrities or something. Maybe? As my wife and I are escorted to our table, the first thing I notice is that almost all of the clientel is Japanese with the exception of one table over in the corner and my wife and I...a good sign.

After looking over the menu for a bit, I had almost decided on getting my old stand-by (Traditional Nabeyaki Udon) when something else caught my eye...Cheese and Mochi Nabeyaki Udon! Hmm...interesting. Mozzarella cheese and Mochi (rice cake) with chicken in a soup broth...I had to try it. I initially thought the mozzarella would be weird with the mochi, but the dish turned out to be just the opposite. The combination of melted cheese and hot mochi made for a nice, ooey, gooey and chewy meal. On top of that, the udon itself is really good. Most of the udon I have eaten at other places has tasted like it came out of a bag you can buy at the asian market. This udon on the other hand felt and tasted like it was made fresh at the restauant. Impressive. I'd say this dish is definitely a "must try" if you go to Sanuki no Sato.

My wife is a big Uni (sea urchin) fan. If it's available, she almost always orders something that has Uni in it. She decided on the Cold Hiyashi Uni-Tororo Soba. This dish is a bowl of cold soba noodles topped with Uni, grated Nagaimo Yam and green onions. While I, personally am not a big Uni eater, this dish was quite tasty. The flavor of the Uni really mixed well with the other ingredients to make for quite an appetizing dish. My wife loved it.

Unfortunately, after chowing down on my Cheese & Mochi Nabeyaki Udon and a few bites of my wife's Uni-Tororo, I just didn't have the space for dessert. So, I will have to save reviews of their desserts for a later date. And there definitely will be a later date! So, would I go back to Sanuki no Sato? DEFINITELY! In fact, I can't wait to go back so I can sample their Traditional Nabeyaki Udon. If it's half as good as the Cheese & Mochi, I should be in for quite a treat!

Sanuki no Sato
18206 S. Western Ave.
Gardena, CA 90248
(310) 324-9185
http://www.sanukinosato.com

P.S. My apologies for the somewhat crappy pics. They were taken with my phone. Unfortunately my current digital camera is really old and takes worse pics than my current phone. How sad. Anyway, I promise the photo quality will improve once I get around to getting a new digital camera...

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