Category Archives: Ventura

Peking in on Chinese Cuisine

by Mikey

Yeah, I know the title is clever.  You don’t have to tell me. 

I hit up some Chinese food the other day and was in the mood to try some new dishes.  My girls had just finished a heck of a soccer game and one of the parents heard me talking about Chinese food.  They recommended the Peking Restaurant in Ventura.

Peking Restaurant – Telegraph/Victoria

First off, I think I counted eight “No Msg” signs.  Apparently MSG is not welcome here.  I definitely contain MSG, but I didn’t tell them. I just thought I’d see if they could detect it. Continue reading

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Filed under Ventura

Bottleworks Pizza

by Mikey

B and I hit up our third pizza joint.  A place called Bottleworks on the East end of Ventura.  Most of the pizza’s so far have been mediocre, so we were hoping Bottleworks would break the mold. Continue reading

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Filed under Ventura, Ventura County

Hells Kitchen and Just BBQ

by Mikey

This last Thursday on Hells Kitchen we finally get to see another weak ass chef get booted off in the middle of the service.  J apparently not only serves the ass of the lettuce in his salads, but he also can’t seem to cook rice.  Which kinda makes us wonder why he’s on the show?  You have to figure one of the qualifications for a semi-credible chef would be cooking pasta and rice these things are essentially just boiling absorbent materials in water.

Get ready cause in 5 seconds my ass is getting kicked out.
Get ready cause in 5 seconds my ass is getting kicked out.

J messed up the rice for everyone and then goes on to put his own special spin on fish by burning it consistently.  Maybe burnt fish is the special dish in his town.  On a bed of overcooked rice.  Ramsey forehead vein explodes as he sends J out of Hells Kitchen.  J vows to take all he has learned to his own restaurant where he will rein victorious serving us all the burnt fish and lettuce ass we can eat. Continue reading

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Filed under Ventura

Hungry Howies Pizza – Flavored Crusts

by Mikey

So Brian came by the house the other night to hang with my boy and I and we decided to take on pizza number 2.  We are not only going to various pizza joints around the county and beyond, but we are also going to have pizzas delivered, in order to give you guys a good idea of where the best pizza can be found.  As we mentioned in our first article on pizza, B. and I will both score the pizza individually and then add our scores to give the pizza a grand total. Then the pizza will be placed on our pizza chart where you will be able to see where it compares to the rest of the pizzas we have sampled thus far.

Remember the 5 points of pizza scoring: crust, sauce, toppings, cheese, and overall. On to Hungry Howie’s… Continue reading

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Where for art thou Steak Kings?

by Mikey

Do you guys remember when Sizzler and Black Angus used to be the kings of steak and potato’s?  If you wanted steak and shrimp with a baked potato those were the places you would go.  Sizzler had that great cheese toast.  I used to think there was crack in that cheese crust and I could never get enough of it.  Sizzler has fallen a long way down.  It was once a proud steak house where the people got together for a killer salad bar, great steaks and even great fried shrimp. Fresh baked potato’s covered in butter and sour cream made it the best all-you-can-eat joint around.  Who doesn’t remember all you can eat night at the Sizzler? Continue reading

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Filed under Thousand Oaks, Ventura, Ventura County

Hells Kitchen and Sexy Enchiladas

by Mikey

It’s time for the weekly buffet of everything EatmeCalifornia.  This week I had a lot going on so I’m not going to be as long winded as usual.  Though typically Brian is the more verbose of this duo, (mostly because he knows more big words then I do). Continue reading

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Filed under Everywhere, Ventura

I Love Sushi and Sushi Loves Me

by Mikey

Its called I love Sushi so there better be love right? I want to taste the love, feel the love, and hear the love.I don’t wanna smell the love cause I smelled love once and it smelled alot like febreeze and tacos.

If you wanna get in for a quick lunch or dinner, this is the Sushi spot to hit. These ladies turn tables faster then a ninja on crack and Mountain Dew.  Being near alot of offices I’m sure they get alot of the fast moving lunch crowd.

I love Sushi – Telephone/Victoria

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Yes, it’s really called I love Sushi.  That is actually the primary reason I went in.  They get you thinking positive right when you walk in.  Sushi is even more subjective then pizza.  I think everyone likes their sushi a certain way so I’m going to stick to the basics.  Hey Brian, if you get a chance, weigh in on the subject of sushi.

I Love Sushi is a small place, they are packed in a shopping center and surrounded by fast food type joints, like Papa Johns pizza, and Presto Pasta. They cram everyone in, just like the fish in their cases.  I almost felt like this other guy and I were sharing a chair.  We were throwing more elbows at each other then a Chuck Norris movie.  As far as décor, this is not the place to go for a romantic dinner.  This is one of those sushi places to hit for dinner with friends or to get take out from.  It’s just not big enough to be comfortable and its really hard to here anyone talk.

The sushi chefs and staff are all very friendly, and the service is on target. You can tell they are used to turning tables fast because they are very organized and efficient.  The sushi comes out at a decent rate and they check on you quite a bit. Plus they serve you in ninja teams of 2 to 3. I must of had 3 different servers bring me stuff.

Every sushi place has their own variety of rolls and their own interpretations on the sushi classics.  I Love Sushi has a lot of different rolls; the selection is actually pretty incredible.  I ordered the crunch crunch roll, the caterpillar, and the spicy tuna tempura.  I also ordered some tuna, salmon, and some yellowtail just to get a better idea of the fish quality.  It’s all for you my friends!

For the most part their fish was very good, but the tuna was my favorite.  It virtually melts in your mouth and has the greatest tang to it.  The avocado was ripe and fresh, the rolls were very tight and stayed together nicely.  The yellowtail seemed a bit off to me, but I always find it to be one of the more difficult fish to get right 100% of the time.  The tempura was crisp and tasty; the spicy tuna had a great zing and a wonderful flavor.  The rolls were not overburdened with mayo, and they give you just enough sauce and spice to keep the flavors clean and abundant.

The portions were excellent, like I had said earlier I was starving so it was great to get full plates.   The cuts were done nicely as well, making the pieces easy to pick up and dunk using just the chopsticks.  You might be saying, “Isn’t it supposed to be like that?”  Yes it is.   But that’s what so many places have failed to do for me.  I usually end up eating sushi with the chopsticks, my hands, and anything else I can get a hold of, just to get it all shoveled into my face.

All in all, I liked the food.  Though I must say, in this day and age where there is a sushi joint on every corner and in almost every shopping center, they really need to set themselves apart.  I Love Sushi was good, but not good enough to separate themselves from everywhere else I can get Sushi.  So Mikeys search goes on, for a Sushi restaurant that can stand out in the crowd.  I want great flavor combinations, rolls that are out of the box, and sauces that are vibrant and exciting.  Can you hear me people?  Can I get an Amen!?!?

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Filed under Ventura, Ventura County