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

6 Comments

Filed under Ventura

The town that time forgot.

by Brian

I don’t know about you, but I really like finding places off the beaten path.  Places where the buildings haven’t been updated since the 40s or 50s, but you can’t tell because everything surrounding them never changed either.  For those of you who don’t know, Santa Paula, California, is one of those places.

I stumbled upon this small town a couple months back, while attempting to find an inspiring spot to take some pictures.  When I saw Santa Paula Coffee Company, I was in desperate need of a caffeine boost.  However, what I experienced there that Saturday afternoon has changed the way I look at coffee shops as a whole.  I know that we primarily do restaurant reviews on EatMeCalifornia, but this little place made such an impression on me that I simply couldn’t leave it out.  Continue reading

5 Comments

Filed under Santa Paula, Ventura County

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

2 Comments

Filed under Thousand Oaks, Ventura, Ventura County

Brian is a man of the people.

by Brian

Note: The eating for this post was actually done the day before the Orochon Ramen challenge.  But since my pain and misery is more entertaining in general, this got pushed back by a day.

Taco trucks are an L.A. tradition.  Kinda like hot dog carts in New York.  I’m not talking about your average “roach coach” greasy, almost inedible food.  I’m describing a traditional mexican restaurant on wheels.  Most of your good taco trucks don’t even move very often.  This particular one, that I will be reviewing in a moment, has two locations that it splits the day between.

My buddy Adam is the one who tipped me off about Mariscos del Mar.  He was doing research for a school project on taco trucks and came across this one.  If you know spanish, then you can probably figure out that this taco truck specializes in seafood tacos.  If you don’t know spanish, then just read the last sentence.  And then look at the pretty pictures. Continue reading

1 Comment

Filed under Los Angeles Area, North Hollywood

Brian Just Got Owned… by Ramen

by Brian

Hey everyone, this was supposed to have gone up yesterday.  However, due to the fact that I spent more time in the bathroom than in front of the computer, it simply wasn’t meant to be.  Anyway, for those of you tracking my facebook page, you probably already know that I went to Orochon Ramen.  What you don’t know, is how I liked it.  I’ve been curled in the fetal position for a little more than a day now, and I’m ready to tell my story. Continue reading

14 Comments

Filed under Little Tokyo, Los Angeles Area

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

2 Comments

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

store_1_sm

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!?!?

Add to FacebookAdd to NewsvineAdd to DiggAdd to Del.icio.usAdd to StumbleuponAdd to RedditAdd to BlinklistAdd to TwitterAdd to TechnoratiAdd to Furl

1 Comment

Filed under Ventura, Ventura County