First, I must start this post with an APOLOGY that I’ve been MIA for so long!! Life has been so crazy and I let it get the best of me. All excuses aside, I’m back!!

— Now on to the good stuff—

So I recently traveled to The Oinkster in Eagle Rock to discover their alleged amazing pastrami. I headed in and ordered the Oinkster Pastrami Sandwich, which included Gruyere cheese, caramelized onion and red cabbage slaw. This combination alone made my mouth water. However, I still had my doubts. Primarily because it is a $9 sandwich, so it better be darn good!

I needed to eat this sandwich fresh, so I took a singular bite before I headed home, assuming that I had self-control. First mistake! After this bite, I immediately started apologizing to the sandwich for doubting it’s awesomeness! Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I apologized to a sandwich. It was that melt-in-your-mouth good. The pastrami and Gruyere melted together while the slaw gave it some crunch. Neat-freaks be warned: this is not the sandwich for you. It is large, messy and a bit difficult to eat. I personally believe it’s well worth the mess.

The Oinkster Pastrami

At this point, you may be wondering what’s the deal with the Usher video. No, I’m not that big of a fan. After my first bite, I behaved myself and put the sandwich away, ready to drive home. Being in the beautiful city of LA, I got stuck in the usual traffic. That’s when the pastrami called my name and I gave in. As I began to devour, Usher’s “OMG” came on the radio and everything seemed in sync. It was like my own fat kid music video. With every bite, I was saying “I found you finallyyyyy! you make me wanna say o-o-o-o my gosh!”.

Thanks to The Oinkster, I have hit my fat kid rock bottom and I liked it. The only question is, where do I go from here?

If you would like your own fat kid moment…

The Oinkster

www.theoinkster.com

2005 Colorado Boulevard
Eagle Rock, CA 90041
(323) 255-6465

They stuff it the chicken “buns” with cheese and bacon. If you want to be “healthy”, you can even get it with grilled chicken. I use quotes yet again because KFC.com was so nice as to provide the health info and ummm…yea…

Sandwich Calories Fat (g) Sodium (mg) KFC Original Recipe® Double Down 540 32 1380 KFC Grilled Double Down 460 23 1430

Nutrition info aside…this sandwich made me ponder a few things…

First, how did they think of this creation? I personally have two possible theories:

1. After a long night of drinking, the Colonel came home hungry and was out of buns and voila! Who needs a bun when you have as much fried chicken at your disposal as the Colonel??

———-OR———-

2. This is a pre-emptive tactic that the big-wigs at KFC thought of to profit off the legalization of marijuana in CA. They saw an opportunity for lots of future munchies and they seized it!

So my second thought about this “sandwich” is the question of whether or not it should be called a sandwich at all? I’m all for taking liberties now, but I think this may be going a bit too far. Does a sandwhich require bread of some sort or can it be any filling shoved between two barriers? Clearly…I think entirely too much and too deeply about food. If anyone is thinking as much as I am on this matter, please feel free to comment on this dilemma!

On a somewhat random but related note… I saw this article on some interesting spins of sand which classics. I’ve actually made Wolfgang’s Shrimp BLT before and yum!

http://www.delish.com/cooking-shows/food-tv/celebrity-chef-sandwiches?GT1=47033

The French Onion Sandwich

Ingredients:
1 medium sized yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
¼ cup beef stock
a couple of slices Gruyere cheese
Sliced French bread

Directions:

Heat a skillet with 2 tbsp olive oil. Place sliced onions in pan and cook on medium-low heat for 30-45 minutes until caramelized. About ½ way through, add butter. When caramelized, add beef stock and cook until reduced. Place slices of cheese on both slices of the bread—this prevents the bread from getting soggy. Place caramelized onions in the center of one slice, close and place in a panini press until golden brown.

1. Grilled Cheese Night at Campanile

2. Special Grilled Cheese Menu all month-long at Clementine

3. Check out recipes and tips at the Grilled Cheese Academy

4. Special GC menu and yummy recipes on the website created with Nancy Silverton at La Brea Bakery

5. Gather your friends for a GC party! Bring various types of breads, toppings and of course, cheese!

6. Or…you can try a deconstructed GC party. Commonly known as a fondue party (taking some liberties here)

7. Head out to the Grilled Cheese Invitational on the 24th. Tickets are only $10 to sample some of the best grilled cheese sammies LA has to offer.

8. Create a $4 custom GC sammy at Patinette Cafe @ MOCA

9. Because we can’t get enough of the gourmet food truck trend: Check out the Grilled Cheese Truck

10. Try the Afterschool Special at Doughboys- A grilled cheese sammy and big bowl of tomato soup

11. Or try the soup INSIDE the sammy

12. Or if you are like me and LOVE French Onion Soup, try my French Onion Soup Sammy Recipe

13. Because I love braised meat: Short Ribs and Grilled Cheese Sammy at 8oz Burger Bar

14. Grilled Cheese for Breakfast! If you can make it to Disneyland, you must try the Monte Cristo Sandwich at the Blue Bayou Restaurant

15. Grilled Cheese for Dessert! Sweet GC Sammy’s at Syrup Desserts

16. Vegans can have grilled cheese too! At Madeleine’s Bistro

17. My favorite podcast: The Sporkful. Check out episode 1: Grilled Cheese

18. A classic twist on the grilled cheese: the Patty Melt. I must admit I don’t have a fav place to get one. But here are some good options

19. Mexican Grilled Cheese! I LOVE mulitas at La Taquiza

20. Embrace your inner fat kid: Thisiswhyyourefat.com has plenty of Grilled Cheese options. Check out the Pepperoni and Grilled Cheese Pizza or the Deep Fried Grilled Cheese

21. My favorite website that makes me hungry: Tastespotting.com and their many grilled cheese options

22. Answer the question: Where does the grilled cheese and and panino begin? Try a panino at Mozza2go

23. If you  can’t get enough cheese: Andrew’s Cheese shop has a cheese of the month club.

I’m stuffed! I think the next post will have to be healthy food! I’m open to suggestions.

I prefer a very meaty hot dog, where the frank slightly hangs outside of the bun, showcasing the meat. I view the bun almost as a convenient (yet tasty) utensil. To me, the hot dog is all about the meat. My friend, on the other hand, prefers a low M2B ratio. She is a bread-lover and cherishes a delicious bun. I see her point, but as a carnivore, I cannot agree.

Which brings me to my new favorite hot dog place: The Slaw Dogs in Pasadena. They have a good variety of tasty links and a ton of toppings. You can either create your own or go with one of their custom creations. I went with the Original, which included chili, cheese, mustard, onions and cole slaw. It sounds like a lot to handle but everything was perfectly proportioned. There were a lot of flavors, but they blended together beautifully. Normally, I’m not a huge fan of slaw, but theirs is fresh and adds a tangy crisp to the dogs. The real test was when my friend added pastrami and guacamole to his Original dog. This was a clusterf*ck of flavors but they STILL blended together. Needless to say, I was impressed.

The Original

Original w/ Pastrami & Guac

The Slaw Dogs

www.theslawdogs.com

720 North Lake Avenue
Pasadena, CA 91104
(626) 808-9777

Citizen Smith is this heavenly piece of Southern comfort food but with a refined, California flair. Maybe I’m a little biased because I think it’s just like me: an LA girl with some New Orleans roots.

In terms of what to eat, I have thoroughly enjoyed everything I’ve eaten there with only one exception: the sweet potato fries. Be warned they are actually sweet potato CHURRO fries. Normally, I am a huge fan of the SP fries and churros, but  I like to keep my dinner and dessert separate. If you’re into that sort of thing, do it! Just know what you are getting yourself into.

I would definitely recommend the Cajun BBQ shrimp as an appetizer. One note: it is no longer on the regular menu, but you can still request it from the sauce with a baguette, this is the appetizer for you. It is basically shrimp in a cajun bbq butter sauce complete with a baguette for dipping. The sauce has the perfect amount of spices– just enough for some kick but not too much so you still get the flavor.

2 shared appetizers and an entrée later…I only spent about 20 bucks. Love it!

Citizen Smith

www.citizensmithhollywood.com

1600 North Cahuenga Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90028-6202
(323) 461-5001

So now, I’m giving him another chance and I’m back in that blissful stage of the relationship. As I sat awaiting my food, I couldn’t help but be that rude person starring at everyone’s plate. Everything looked amazing! Me being the adventurous eater that I am had to order the “scrapple with dirty eggs”. It’s WAY more appetizing than the name sounds.

pan-fried grits mixed with shredded braised pork. served with spicy eggs scrambled with caramelized onion and potato, served with our corn cake. no substitutions, please, you won’t be sorry

I took a bite and immediately thought of my southern grandma’s cooking. All of the spices were just right. The cornbread could have been a little sweeter, but I’m used to my dad’s cornbread, which is more like cake.

Speaking of cake! Don’t forget dessert. Normally, I love the red velvet cake, but ventured out with the dark chocolate cupcake. It wasn’t pretty, but it melted in my mouth! A must for a chocoholic like myself.

In summary…you won’t be sorry with basically anything off the menu. Good food, large portions and good prices. Yea, he’s definitely worth another chance! Yum!

 Doughboys Cafe & Bakery

8136 West Third Street

Los Angeles, CA 90048

Ph: 323.852.1020

http://www.doughboyscafe.com/

You know those online sample sales emails you subscribe to? Now they have one for wine! If you can’t tell, I’m very excited about this. I love wine and love a good deal so the prospect of getting good wine at a good price just made my day.

Added Bonus: If you use the promocode “dailycandy” when you sign up, you will get a $10 credit. AND if you refer your friends, you will get $20 for each one that makes a purchase!

Check it out….
www.wineryinsider.com

After work, I thought it would be a brilliant idea to head to the grand re-opening of one of my favorite neighborhood boutiques, Weekendz Only. They had free wine and appetizers catered by this delicious restaurant across the street (Sweetsalt Café). Free wine and good food? I’m in! The problem with this logic is that store has too many cute items and not making a purchase is extremely difficult. Me, with my lack of willpower, bought a hat. It was only $12.29 and I further justify it by saying price also included a glass of wine and hors devours.

My friend invited me over her house for food, wine and a movie night. This sounded like a good deal, but I can’t just show up empty-handed. So I headed to Trader Joes and picked up a bottle of wine and desserts for $10.47.

Friday’s total: $33.46

Weekly remainder: $62.91

Wow, this shows that the little things can really add up. I managed to spend about 30% of my weekly allowance in 1 day and I thought I was being good! I guess the key is just balance; some days are splurges, you just have to make sure that’s not a daily habit.

Weekendz Only

10139 Riverside Dr
Toluca Lake, CA 91602
(818) 752-3695

Saturday 3/20

Spring Wine Fest @ The Original Farmers Market ; 1-4P

This Saturday, Monsieur Marcel, EB’s and 326 host a rooftop wine tasting. It’s $30, but that includes tastings of over 40 wines, wine based cocktails and sake. They will also have gourmet food pairings from Ulysses Voyage and Marcel’s. A good deal for all you wine-lovers!

http://www.farmersmarketbars.com/

Sunday 3/20- LA Marathon Day!

City Block Parties-7am-2pm

This year, they will have FREE city block parties along the marathon route for spectators. These will include live music, a sponsor village featuring food and beverage sampling, sponsor exhibits and sale of official Honda LA Marathon apparel, radio remotes with top Clear Channel stations and more. Here are the locations:

Mile 11 looks the best to me, since there is a Metro station nearby (Hollywood/Highland). That way, you won’t have to deal with road closures or parking.

http://www.lamarathon.com/event/spectator-guide

Food deal @ Lago Santa Monica

Say the word “marathon” during brunch, lunch or dinner, and you’ll get 15 percent off your food bill. Runners can bring in their numbers for double portions of dishes like braised veal shank ($29), roasted bone marrow ($12) or any house-made pasta entrée. 231 Arizona Ave., Santa Monica; 310-451-3525

 lagosantamonica.com

Booze deal @ Hotel Erwin; Noon-3P

Bring your bib or finisher’s medal to the Hotel Erwin’s rooftop bar, and they’ll give you a bucket of six beers, or bottomless Bloody Marys for two, for the price of $26.20. Maybe I will get lucky and tumble upon a bib at the Black Party??

 High at Hotel Erwin, 1697 Pacific Ave, 310-452-1111

http://www.jdvhotels.com/dining/high

Sunday Family Supper @ Cecconi’s; 5-11P

Grab 3 friends and head to Cecconi’s for a family supper for only $50. That covers 2 large pizzas and 2 large bowls of pasta. Add wine for $25 extra and additional people for $12.50 each. YUM!

Cecconi’s

8764 Melrose Ave, West Hollywood

310-432-2000

http://www.cecconiswesthollywood.com/

World Water Week (March 21^st-27^th)

Unicef Tap Project

Not a deal, considering you are paying for something you normally get for free. But it’s for a good cause! This week, dine out at some of your favorite restaurants and donate $1 for tap water.  The proceeds will go to UNICEF to help provide water and sanitation to kids around the world.

Get the list of restaurants:

http://www.tapproject.org/