The importance of urinal ads

That means you!

Typically, when I go pubbing I take the train. Old Town, Little Tokyo, East LA, LA LIVE, Hollywood, etc. - without any driving - via LA's Metro subway? (Yes a train to West LA and the Ocean would be killer, but....)

Until then, when out hitting your favorite bars, clubs and restaurants - too intoxicated to drive - dial up #TAXI from your cell phone.

I don't know what it is........but sitting in the back of a cab is always a little bit more fun the back of a squad car. But maybe that's just me.

Some soup at Pasadena's Noodle House

Hydration and food

No luck at the race truck. Addictive personalities can really be annoying some times.

Anyway, at the Noodle House in Old Town Pasadena having some Thai seafood soup.

On my way to da Diver. Pint anyone?

No luck at Santa Anita

So far at least

Race 4 is my big race. Got my eye on Shudacudawuya. Well yes I did. Will he?

Fish fry at Robins in East Pasadena

Stick with the BBQ

I've been to Robins a few times over the years. Usually I go for the pulled pork sandwich, or one of their specials.

Last night I had the all you can eat fried fish, purported to be as good as a Milwaukee fish fry. Well, I've had fish in Milwaukee. Robins still has some work to do.

Had a few rib tips, which were also an all you can eat special. Next time Ill get rib tips.

As usual, the service was extremely friendly, but a little slow on this trip due to being under staffed upon arrival.

Curing my hangover at Saigon's in Pasadena

Just Pho it

My head hurts. Liquour before beer, not after!

Anyway, I have the cure. Some rare steak and tripe pho at Saigons in Pasadena. I'm not a big hominy fan, so menudo isn't my favorite cure for a few too many drinks. This pho, however, has all the benefits of menudo without the hominy. MMMMMMM!

For a little extra substance also tried the grilled pork spring rolls. A little different and very minty.

I feel better already.

A drug free pub?

No drunks at the 35er

Check out this ad above the urinals in the men's bathroom at the 35er. I kind of fit the ad's desription yesterday, as did most in the 35er. Definitely the wrong crowd for this kind of advertising.

BBQ at Hutchs in Pasadena

Still here

I last went to Hutch's BBQ at least 10 years ago. In fact, the last time I went there I was there for breakfast, which I don't believe they serve at Hutch's any longer.

Anyway, needed a pulled pork sandwich, so I thought I'd give Hutch's a try. The pulled pork sandwich wasn't bad, but the bread was not anything special. In fact, I'd skip the bread at Hutch's and just stick with the meat.

Also tried the chicken jerk sandwich. Again, the bread made this sandwich less than it could have been, and the jerk needed a bit more jerking.

Finally, tried some BBQ chicken and some baby back ribs. The BBQ chicken wasn't bad, although all of the chicken just seemed a bit bland. Not sure if that is because I'm just not that into chicken, or if it is something with their cooking process.

Last, but certainly not least, I had a rib. The rib meat easily fell of the bone and offered a real deep smokey flavor. By far the ribs were the best thing I tasted.

The service at Hutch's was extremely friendly, so I might give it another tree before another decade passes. Still, I'd definitely stick to the ribs, or try the oxtail - something Hutch's, according to our waitress, is well known for serving.

Monkey Brain lunch at Blue Fish in Pasadena

Same sushi chefs, different name

While the Blue Fish might be the newest sushi restaurant in Old Town Pasadena, it isn't really that new. The sushi chefs are still the same as have been at the last few sushi restaurants at this same location.

Today, I stopped by the Blue Fish for lunch, my first visit to this reincarnated Japanese restaurant. The layout of the restaurant is the same, but the decor has been updated to simple, clean lines and a totally modern feel. Moreover, the lunch menu has been completely updated with many new offerings and extremely fair pricing. $8.00 for a two-item combo, including a salad and miso soup, or $11.00 for a three-item combo.

Immediately, I was impressed with the salad. Instead of just some iceberg lettuce with Chinese chicken salad dressing, the new salad is filled with fresh greens, tomatoes and avocados and a slightly spicy vinaigrette. And the miso soup was also tasty, but how can you really screw up miso soup?

I started with the friend monkey brains, a concoction of spicy tuna and mushrooms, batter-fried into a crunchy ball. Pretty tasty, but I would have preferred a little more spice. Next I had the spicy tuna takaa bowl - a healthy sharing of spicy tuna and a few cherry tomatoes over a bowl of rice. Not bad, and the serving size is surprisingly large.

I had also ordered the sushi - 4 pieces of sushi - but some how my order wasn't taken correctly. Sadly, it took a while to resolve this with my waiter as he was missing in action for some time. Nonetheless, I didn't really need the extra food and it was subtracted from my bill without question.

Overall, I was impressed with the lunch special portions, selection and pricing. And, if the lunch specials aren't to your liking, a full sushi bar and Japanese food menu is also available.

Unfortunately, the service was underwhelming. Nevertheless, I'll be back to try a few more items on their very interesting lunch special menu.

50 cent wings at Buffalo Wild Wings in Burbank, CA

Getting my wing on at Burbank's Buffalo Wild Wings

As a big fan of buffalo wings, I consider myself an expert on this great bar food. Consequently, I have pretty high expectations for a restaurant built on the appetizer that made Buffalo, NY famous. Unfortunately, I don't think Buffalo Wild Wings could survive in Buffalo.

As it's Tuesday, wings are just 50 cents apiece. Not bad. Even better, I arrived after 4:00 and before 7:00 - happy hour - and all 23 ounce drafts were a dollar cheaper. So far so good.

I like my wings hot, so I sampled the 4 hottest sauces on my wings. None really stood out in terms of flavor. Sure, the sauces had zip, but I'm not a fan of just hot wings, I want hot and tasty wings. Unfortunately, these wings just weren't that tasty.

Service, however, was fast and friendly.

Thus, if I go back, I'm going back on Wednesday for $2.00 domestic beers. After a few cheap drinks I'm sure the wings will taste better.

Lunch at Rock'n Fish at LA Live

I love me some fish fry

So, I was downtown this morning. By the time I finished my business it was lunch. Last week, while attending the LA Auto Show, Rock'NFish caught my attention.

See, I'm a I fish fry freak. Sometimes there is nothing better in the world then a good piece of batter-fried fish. Fisk and chips, mate, is just one of my guilty pleasures.

Sat at the bar at the Rock'nFish at LA Live craving some good fish. Very nice selection of beer. So, I was off to a good start. Even better my order came fast. That was also good, otherwise I would scoffed down the warmed half loaf of bread provided on request. On second thought, maybe that wouldn't have been such a bad thing!

Excitedly I ate my first piece of piece. The batter was soooo lame, almost soggy with no crunch at all, and I've had better tartar sauce at IHOP. Even the french fries were lame. The coleslaw, on the other hand, wasn't bad, but coleslaw shouldn't have been the best item on the plate. Big disappointment.

Perhaps Rock'nFish only specializes in grilled or broiled fish - I'll probably never know, as I doubt I'll ever return. Sure, Rock'nFish didn't suck. It was very OK, but for a place with Fish in the name, I expect a lot more, especially considering the prices at Rock'nFish.

In a nutshell, for the money, I'd have been happier with a fish sandwich and fries from McDonalds.

Dinner at Damon's Steakhouse in Glendale

Good and relatively cheap

Stopped by Damon's Steakhouse on Brand in Glendale. This was my first visit, and right away I loved the vibe of the place.

Started with calamari. The batter was light and crunchy, although a bit greasy. Overall, however, I enjoyed the calamari more than the calamari that I recently experienced at the YardHouse in Pasadena.

Next came either beef or turkey soup. I went with beef, but I also tried the turkey. Both were good, and the bowls were huge. Between the soup and the calamari - and a few stellas - I started to feel I bit full.

Of course, just as I finished my soup, my tenderloin arrived. Perfectly cooked to medium-rare, I quickly scarfed down several bites. For the price my steak was both bigger and better than I expected. In fact, I probably would have been better off with the petite, which was also an early bird special.

Finally, the service was great.

Overall, Damons was a great, very enjoyable experience. I will be back. Sure, its not the greatest steak I've ever had, but it was still very good. The size and price, however, made it a clear cut winner.

Mr. Bertram doesn't like YT

Punked by my all-time favorite KROQ character

Ran into Adam Carolla, a comedian I greatly admire, at the LA Auto Show today. As he walked by me, I shouted, "Mr. Betram". He turned around and gave me a look like he wanted to hit me.

So, I said "sorry", and he walked away.

About 10 or 15 minutes later he began the interview pictured in this post, so maybe his mind was elsewhere at the time. Still, his actions seemed like a total dyck move, especially considering the fact that Mr. Bertram is possibly my all time favorite KROQ character. Of course, I'll forgive him when he buys me a drink.

Lunch at Trader Vics at LA Live

Over-rated?

I'm working the LA Auto Show, so I've been eating at LA Live the last few days. I'm at Trader Vics right now, and I'm not terribly impressed.

I'm eating the Everything Fried rice with shrimp, pork , chicken and, well, everything. Its not bad, but its not $15 good.

Glad I only contemplated their world famous Mai Tai. I'm sure its good, but not $10 good after $15 rice.

Nonetheless, the vibe is pretty cool. Id like to come back with a crowd, during happy hour, or when someone else is paying the bill. Overall, the happy hour menu looks very enticing, but I bet you get messed up fast in a place like this.

If you do come in for a drink, the bartender recommends the Tiki Puka Puka or the Queens Park Sizzle.