tricks

Hey,

This weekend we had a birthday get together for Becky.  It was a dinner party with a few friends but what made it extra awesome was we all took a Miracle Berry before we ate.  For those who don't know, the Miracle Berry temporarily rewires your tongue's taste buds and makes sour foods sweet as well as warping other flavors.

Each person started with a fresh lemon wedge which tastes just like lemon-drop candy.  After this first flavor shock people started experimenting with all sorts of foods.  You know a party is crazy when you walk into the kitchen and there are folks drinking balsamic vinegar.

The berry's power last an hour or so.  I strongly recommend you all try it.  Fresh fruits seemed to have the biggest impact, while the salty foods remained mostly unchanged.  This was defiantly an unforgettable experience.

Note: I ordered miracle berry tablets offline which came out to around $1 per tablet.  This is totally legal and has no side effects. Other than having your tongue's mind blown.   

Flavor Tripping

dr. green thumb

Hey,

Why are salads so expensive?  They taste good and are great for you but the price keeps them out of my diet. At your average restaurant, a big salad can run you as much a regular entree. And a side salad is normally like $4-5 for a small bowl filled with greens topped with one slice of tomato and/or cucumber.

Make healthy food cheap and I'll live longer.

All money aside, the salads at The Down Beat Cafe are great. I usually get either the greek or the salmon.  They run between $8-10 but they are huge and fill you up.

Dressing.

cuckoo

Hey,

Pupusas are delicious.  I had some from a place called Los CoCo's which is on Alvarado right next to Jord's house.  Each bean and cheese food disc only costs $1.60 and they are served with a delightful salad/slaw and a red sauce.

The food to dollar ratio is great.  I wish the place was open past 10pm because they would make a great late night treat.

This is my fourth run in with this food since moving to L.A. The best I've had so far were at the Pupusa stand at the Silver Lake farmer's market.  

El Salvador 

gut check

Hey,

In the last month I traveled back to Kitchen 24 for another helping.  I ordered the Veggie Burger with sweet potato fries.  Our food took forever.  When it finally came I dove in.

The burger was huge and sounded very good on the menu but when I bit in all I got was a mouthful of mush.  The burger had no texture. The bread/bun was soft and the veggie patty (homemade) was much too squishy.  The fries were good but after about 10 I wanted regular fries, I just got burned out on that sweet potato flavor.

I'd still give this place another shot but I have to scale back some of my praise from last time.

Welcome back to earth 

up next

Stories to come,

- My updated review of Kitchen 24.

- Why Fat Fish is the best.

- Flavor tripping?

- The M Cafe.

Let's eat

romance

Hey,

A few weeks back Becky and I did the date/dinner thing at The Figaro Cafe in Los Feliz.  We sat outside and enjoyed the cool night air.  The whole experience was great.  The service and food were both awesome.  Becky ordered the Salmon and I had the Crab Cakes. The food was so good that I think I got lucky that night.

Be prepared to drop a little cash, but its well worth it.

Inside tip: They do a fantastic brunch and they bake all their own breads and pastries.  

Delicious 

fancy beers

Hey,

A team of us went to a beer and wine only joint called El Prado located on Sunset in Echo Park. The place had a great interior that featured awesome hard wood  and brick that reminds one of a NYC watering hole.  The bar only offered a handful of beer selections (all on tap) and  the cheapest coming in at $5 a pint.  This place might be cool during the week if you are looking for a place to hang but the prices, limited options, and lack of a full liquor license keep this bar in the "probably never again" category.  

It is a shame cause I can walk there.   

too cool for school