Glen Campbell LIVE at Pala Casino, Feb 17, 2012, Review

A few years back I bought a Glen Campbell DVD on a whim.  I've always liked Glen's music from the first time I heard "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" on my tiny transistor radio as a kid.  That DVD opened the doors for me. Forget all the drama in Glen's life, the music and his guitar playing cut through.  From his work as part of the LA session musicians crew, playing on everything from Elvis to The Beach Boys to Phil Spector records, his claim to fame is having performed on more Top 10 records than any other musician.

So Glen made my bucket list of performers I wanted to see.  Last year Glen was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease.  What should have stopped the show only spurred him on to create his final album, the superb Ghost on the Canvas, and to do one last tour.

“I don’t pay any attention to it,” Glen said in a recent interview for Fox. “It’s like when the devil comes knocking on your door. Don’t pay any attention to it.”

Opening with "Gentle on my Mind", the playing and singing were spot on.  The audience, mainly old timers who came to see him one last time, were supportive and appreciative, even when Glen occasionally lost his way and had to check the teleprompters for the lyrics.

His band featured three of his children, including his highly talented and beautiful daughter Ashley, who played the banjo and keyboards.  There was some real love and caring on the stage, especially when Glen couldn't remember the key a song was in and asked the band.  "It's in 'G'", Ashley said as she walked over to her Dad's guitar and removed the capo to put it in the right key.  "G? Gee, I like you too" was Glen's response.  Corny?  Well, maybe, but a touching moment.

THE SETLIST
Gentle on my Mind
Galvaston
By the Time I Get to Phoenix
You've Got to Try a Little Kindness
Where's the Playground, Susie?
Didn't We?
I Can't Stop Loving You
True Grit
Lonesome Blues
Dueling Banjos (with Ashley)
Hey Little One (Ashley and brother Shannon, while Glen took a short break offstage)
Any Trouble
It's Your Amazing Grace
Country Boy
The Moon's a Harsh Mistress (solo, with piano)
Ghosts on the Canvas
Whichita Lineman
Rhinestone Cowboy

ENCORE
Southern Nights
A Better Place

Thank you Glen, for all the music and joy you've brought to your fans.  It was a great show, a great night, and to quote Glen, I was happy to be there.

Bon Appetit Magazine Does Fried Chicken Right

I chase recipes.  I get on these kicks where I have to figure out to make the best of something, whether it's smoked spare ribs or kung pao chicken.  And while I've been able to crack the code on most recipes I've gone after, fried chicken has eluded me.  That's why I was so excited to see a giant fried chicken drumstick on the cover of Bon Appetit magazine.

Looking good!

Is there such a thing as gourmet fried chicken?  Mom's have cooked fried chicken for generations and there was nothing to it.  The old school recipe was 1) cut up a chicken, 2) dredge in flour, 3) fry until done.  Well, try that recipe and I guarantee an epic fail!  Somehow the fried chicken scrolls were lost and the gene destroyed.  Fried chicken went from a Sunday standard to a fast food mess.  Now don't get me wrong, I love KFC and will even stoop to supermarket fried chicken and as recently as five years ago was seen with - gasp - Banquet frozen fried chicken.  But none of it was as good as Mom's.

The recipe I've gone to in the past couple of years is from Giada, the FoodTV chef with the big head and big boobs.  It's a lemon and olive oil brine'd chicken called Pollo Frito and it's pretty darn good - but it's not traditional fried chicken.  And, sorry Giada, but it fails the next day crunch test,  turning all soggy and a touch greasy after cooling down.  Nonetheless, it's a good alternative and cool to serve up fried chicken with wedges of lemon.  We've also tried Thomas Keller's (of The French Laundry) fried chicken recipe, the one that has people forking out $55 a plate for, and thought it was a lot of work for rather ordinary results.  Of course, I'm NOT Thomas Keller so it was probably more my fault than his recipe.  So let's try this one from Bon Appetit.


BON APPETIT SKILLET-FRIED CHICKEN

2 Tbsp kosher salt, divided
2 tsp plus 1 Tbsp ground black pepper
1 1/2 tsp paprika
3/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
One 3 to 4 pound chicken cut into 10 pieces, or equivalent weight of parts (drumsticks and thighs and wings sound great!)
1 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
3 cups all purpose flour
1 Tbsp cornstarch
Peanut Oil for frying (well, I used vegetable oil but if you have peanut, use it)

STEP ONE:  Prepare the seasonings
Whisk 1 Tbsp salt, 2 tsp black pepper, paprika, cayenne, garlic and onion powder in small bowl.  Season chicken and put in a bowl and cover overnight.

Getting ready to hit the oil

STEP TWO:  Get ready to cook the next day
When ready to cook, take chicken out and let it stand covered at room temp for an hour.  Pour oil into  a 10" to 12" cast iron skillet (not non stick) to a depth of about 3/4 inches.  This is critical - you must use some sort of cast iron cooking vessel.  I used a Le Creuset "dutch oven" (aka big pot).  You need the thick pan/pot to regulate the heat.

Dip the chicken in buttermilk then dredge in the flour.  Place chicken in oil and fry the chicken, turning it every couple of minutes.  Use a thermometer and keep that oil in the 300 to 325 degree range.  Bon Appetit says it will take 12 minutes for thighs and breasts, 10 for wings.  Mine took around 18 minutes for thighs and a bit less for the drumsticks.  Use an instant read meat thermometer to check for doneness and raw chicken is not good eats, nor is overcooked and dried out chicken.  Go for 165 degrees internal temperature and check a couple of places on each piece to make sure it is done.

300 degrees.  Note that I did not crowd the pan.

STEP THREE:  Fry it up, drink a beer!
Figure it will take you about 20 minutes a batch so plan ahead if you are trying to time out a dinner.  You can place the done pieces in an oven at your lowest setting, 175 to 200 degrees, if you want to keep it warm while the others cook.

Not a stock photo but the actual fried chicken I made!

This is it!  Super crunchy but without cheating like KFC by adding layers of breading.  Not greasy, extremely moist inside and well seasoned.  Just as good the next day cold, retaining a bit of the crunch and keeping all of its fried chicken integrity.

A bit of white beans with olive oil and a fresh watercress salad to accompany the fried chicken made a nice, fresh contrast.

FRIED CHICKEN MYTHS BUSTED!

• No need to soak in buttermilk overnight!  In fact, soaking it is what makes the skin soggy.
• No double breading to create the crust.  
• No salting it right out of the oil.  No need as the chicken is already seasoned perfectly before it even hits the oil.

Best fried chicken ever, as Bon Appetit claims?  I have to agree with that one, and if you love fried chicken you need to try this recipe!

WALLY LOVES SAN DIEGO!  www.LocalWally.com

Save the La Jolla Seals Before the Goons Take Over

Ahhhh, a lovely day in La Jolla.  Where else can you see such beautiful coastline and skies this blue in the middle of Winter?  And the waves, huge!  I've been coming down to this beach for years just to see the seals.  It's nearly pupping season so the beach is full with pregnant moms sunbathing in the warmth. 

But who are those guys on the beach?  Don't they know that they're not supposed to cross the line?

Why, it's the anti-seal group! This group is made up of a few distinct groups.  First, you have the wealthy elitists who believe that this is their beach.  They grew up here, they swam here as kids, they want their kids to swim here, and they don't want anyone telling them they can't do this.  The second group are, ironically, select divers and fishermen.  You would think that divers would love and respect the ocean and its wildlife, but this group is angry that they don't have this launch spot to themselves.  They like entering the ocean here and like the elitists, don't want to share.  The last group are the anti-environmentalists.  These are the ones who believe that this beach is "man made", meaning "for man, not seals".  They like to label the pro-seal group as "vegans" or environmental lunatics. 

They all share one thing in common.  They are all goons who would love it if a seal never set a flipper again on the sand.

There was a lot of propaganda out there from the anti-seal group.  Why, did you know that these seals are from Sea World?  That is why they are so tame and that's why they don't belong here.  Also, did you know that a seal likes nothing better than to be petted on its tummy?  And did you know that Ellen Browning Scripps dedicated the seawall to "the children", and that we owe it to dear old Ellen to remove the seals and carry out her vision?

And look, shared use works!  People shouldn't be kept off the beach.  We should be able to be right in there with the seals because, dammit, San Diego just doesn't have enough beaches.

Idiots.  I mean it, these guys are warped.

How warped?  What causes someone to pour lighter fluid over charcoal a few feet from the pregnant mom seals?  Last year I've seen this same guy light his BBQ a few feet from the baby pups.  You wonder what he would do if his wife had a newborn and someone lit a cigar in its face. 

More goons!  These divers with the spearguns walked right through the seals and chased many of them back into the surf.  The surf, by the way, was high and rough so this was not exactly a great diving day.  In fact, the Ranger said these jerks entered the water and quickly swam around the wall and exited away from the public.  Their goal?  To scare the seals back into the surf.  Just like the asshole with the fishing rod exercising his right to "share" the beach.

Last year I was attacked by an anti-seal person who overheard me talking to my daughter about how much I loved seeing the seals.  This person got in my face and harassed me to the point of me leaving.  I didn't go there to debate.  I just wanted to see the seals.  Because of that I decided to dedicate my latest website, http://www.sandiegohomegrown.com/, to help the seals.  SDHomegrown has local music by local San Diego bands, free for the listening.  These musicians have donated their time and music to help the seals.  The profits from the downloads goes to La Jolla Friends of Seals, a non-profit charity dedicated to preserving this special part of San Diego.

San Diego, it's time to do something!  Don't assume that the pro-seal group will win.  In fact, the pro-seal group is getting smaller all the time due to the tiring antics of the anti-seal group.  But you can help the seals!  Write a letter to your newspaper, email the Mayor and tell him you support the seals, tell City Council member Sherri Lightner to stop pandering to the anti-seal group and uphold the voice of the people by protecting the seals.  Don't assume that someone else will save the seals or the next time you come to La Jolla, you might see the two anti-seal fat chicks on a beach towel instead of the seals.  That would be ugly for sure.

Thank you San Diego.

LOCAL WALLY LOVES THE SEALS AND LOCAL MUSIC:  http://www.sdhomegrown.com/
LOCAL WALLY LOVES SAN DIEGO:  http://www.localwally.com/

Good Eats at the Carnitas Snack Shack

It seems like everyone today is a foodie - ugggh, how I hate that term, perhaps even worse than I hate the term "food blogger".  There are a lot of fake food critics out there, people who come on like experts but don't have the credentials or experience to back themselves up.  So when I read a food blog recently that claimed the food trends that were over were bacon and pork belly, two of my favorite ingredients, I rushed down to the newest eatery in San Diego that focused on both.

The Carnitas Snack Shack is a tiny, unassuming "restaurant" on 2632 University Ave in North Park. It's hard to find but the trick is to look for the giant pig on the roof.

Now don't let the exterior and location turn you away.  I know it looks like a refurbished Porkaberto's or something but just wait.  You order at the front window.

I love it!  Nearly every item has some sort of pork in it.  I also love that there's nothing over $9.  So hard to decide, but in the end I ordered the Pork Sandwich. 

While the front of the restaurant looks like a dive, the back is positively elegant.  It's an open seating patio and a pleasant surprise.  Now I always second guess my decisions when it comes to food so I started thinking I should have gotten something more exciting, especially when I saw some of the incredibly creative food coming out of the kitchen.  The ribeye steak sandwiches were steaming hot and looking absolutely stunning on their cheddar toast and the gal next to me had some sort of crazy tower of pork.  I was starting to fear that my pork sandwich might be a boring pulled pork deal.  But here it comes!

Whoa!  Is it my birthday?  This dang sandwich ($9) wasn't what I was expecting  It has a crispy fried pork tenderloin on the bottom, some pulled pork in the middle, and tons of crunchy bacon on the top.  The bun was nicely grilled to provide even more texture, and the sauces and relish accented the flavors nicely.  How good was it?

Pretty damn good!  In fact, this might be one of my favorite food bites of the past year!  It was creative, sure, but unlike other places where they just put tons of disparate ingredients together and call it gourmet, this sandwich wouldn't be out of place at George's at the Cove's Ocean Terrace.  It was honest, it was delicious, it kicked ass.  And the tiny dish of corn was a sweet contrast to the savory goodness.

The fries ($2.50) were very good, decent, with a nice dusting of spices.  The housemade catsup was less successful, a bit lacking in flavor, but I saw on their website that they also have aioli and that might be the ticket next time.  But I sure like how they serve them up in a paper bag with their pig logo stamped on the front.  It looked homey and gourmet at the same time.

My buddy ordered the carnitas tacos and had equally rave reviews.  Look at them - the pork is moist and succulent, the guacamole fresh, and both tacos stuffed to the top.  If you can find a better way to spend $7, let me know. 

The Carnitas Snack Shack is open from noon to midnight everyday except for Tuesdays.  With food that costs just slightly more than fast food but tastes better than some gourmet restaurants, the Carnitas Shack is destined to become a San Diego local favorite.  Get here for lunch, get her for a cheap dinner, get here after you grow tired of the bar scene, just get in here!

WALLY LOVES YOU:  www.localwally.com
WALLY LOVES LOCAL SAN DIEGO MUSIC:  www.SDHomegrown.com
WALLY LOVES NAPA:  www.NapaTouristGuide.com
WALLY LOVES SONOMA:  www.SonomaTouristGuide.com
FACEBOOK WALLY:  http://www.facebook.com/localwally
TWITTER WALLY:   https://twitter.com/localwally

Cheap Eats & Cheap Beer in San Diego

Beer tasting?  In San Diego?  Whatcha talking about?

Well, San Diego has a vibrant local microbrew scene, and I'm not just talking about the massive Stone Brewery in Escondido/San Marcos.  All around the county are small breweries, tucked away in industrial parks and serving up their eclectic suds.  The other day I happened to be at Iron Fist in Vista.  This is one of many little breweries in the same area, which is cool as you can visit a few in the same afternoon.

Look at this crowd!  Fun, lively, but well behaved.  Unlike Temecula "wine" country where some of the quality is questionable and the crowds often unruly with drunk bachelorettes, San Diego's beer scene is a "don't tell anyone how much fun we are having" local secret.  At most places you can get taster glasses, 4 or so typically for $5.  And if you don't know what to order, just tell them you want to taste from their lightest to their darkest beer.  You can go beer tasting with a ten spot and have a great time.

But didn't I say cheap food?

A lot of the beer places have food set up outside on Saturdays, which is the busiest day.  Sundays are calmer, but harder to find food, so go on Saturdays if you want the best of both.  Today there was a tent set up by Red Oven.  You'll want to check out their Facebook page to see where they are at on any given Saturday and are definitely worth seeking out.  Pizzas are cooked in a wood fired oven (real fire, not like the fake "wood" fire at Pizza Nova) and are $8 to $10.  I ordered the Alsatian, which has fresh ricotta, gruyere cheese, caramelized onions, bacon, and topped with parsley and thyme.  Want to see it?

Oh man, was this ever good!  It was so good that I dropped a piece on the dusty brewery floor and I picked it up and ate it anyway.  I haven't done that since the 3rd grade so you know it was good!  Super thin and crispy crust, tangy with complex layers of flavors, and perfect with the beer tasters.  I was nearly swearing off thin crust pizzas after having so many that had no flavor and no substance, but Red Oven made me a believer all over again.

So think about this - $10 for a pizza for two, $5 for a super good beer (a pint or 4 tasters), and a lively group of people having a good time in an industrial park.  Even if you are not a huge beer fan, you have to check out the beer scene to see why San Diego is quickly becoming known as a destination for beer lovers from all over the US.  And get that pizza!

LOCAL WALLY'S SAN DIEGO INSIDER GUIDE:  www.localwally.com
Coming Soon:  DrinkUpSanDiego.com
Save the La Jolla Seals:  www.SDHomegrown.com 
Napa:  www.NapaTouristGuide.com
Sonoma:www.SonomaTouristGuide.com

Cheap Eats in La Jolla? Yes, at Alfonso's Mexican Restaurant

I've been around the San Diego block more than a few times.  I knew Hillcrest when it was a dump, before the fabulous gays took over and made it all cool and trendy.  I knew Mission Valley when there were still cows grazing in the grass.  And I knew La Jolla when as a college kid I would go there for cheap eats and entertainment.  My friends and I used to get the carne asada tacos at Alfonso's in the late '70's, then head across the street to Bratskellar's to sit around their fireplace with a Zombie (a drink, not a date), and then duck over to Chuck's Steak House for some free jazz.  Well, Brat's is now George's at the Cove and Chucks is Azul's, but thankfully Alfonso is still there.

I like it that they haven't changed it much since it opened in the late 70's.  And here's something else I like.

The chips are solid.  They're thick, they're bold, and they crunch louder than a Corn Nut.  Look, I've been to too many Mexican restaurants where the chips are light and airy.  Give me the crunch!  And the salsa, oh the salsa, my most favorite salsa in all of San Diego.  Behind it is their house margarita.  A small pitcher is $15.50 and one of the best margaritas in town.  Think you need to upgrade?  Think again.  This margarita packs a punch.  Here's the recipe:

ALFONSO'S MARGARITA (recipe courtesy of the bartender)
3 parts sweet and sour
2 parts tequila
1 part triple sec
Fresh lime juice

Try it on the rocks with salt, squeeze a bit more lime on top, enjoy.  Don't waste your money on the upgraded margaritas here.  Even the bartender said that there's no point, not when the house margarita is this good.

BTW, I was watching some dumb FoodTV show where this cooking gal is at a Mexican restaurant and mocking the people eating the baskets of chips and then coming over to their table with a know-it-all smirk and talking about calories and then saying how you should avoid the chips.  Well FoodTV, all I can say is pass them chips my way!

Ahhh, carne asada.  My first carne asada taco was here, 35 years ago, and I still believe they make the best.  Back then you could get 2 carne asada tacos, rice and beans, for $5.90.  Well, my wife says this isn't true but I'm pretty sure.  Anyway, times have changed and if I ate that much food I would be huge (or dead) so I now order a la carte and get one taco and a side of beans.... and more chips.  I love these chips, especially dipped into the beans.  Let's take a bite.

Mmmmmmm, the meat has a nice char-grilled flavor, the guacamole is fresh, the double tortilla keeps everything together, this is one great taco!

Of course, Alfonso's has other good stuff as well.  I love, and I mean love, their garlic shrimp.  They taste like little lobsters and remind me of the days when it was safe to go to Puerto Nuevo.  And they have plenty of other seafood and traditional items here, all delicious.  But get the carne asada taco.  Trust me on this one.

So how much was lunch with the best best carne asada taco, the best chips and salsa, and the best margarita in San Diego?  $30.90?  What a bargain!  Cheap eats in La Jolla is possible - if you go to Alfonso's.

MORE WALLY!

HELP THE SEALS AND KICK THE BAD GUYS OFF THE BEACH!  www.SDHomegrown.com
LOCAL WALLY'S GUIDE TO SAN DIEGO:  www.SanDiegoInsiderGuide.com
NAPA:  www.NapaTouristGuide.com
SONOMA:  www.SonomaTouristGuide.com

The Kebab Shop Kicks Gyro's Ass

I just had a terrific lunch today, so good I wanted to share it with you right now in this quickie review.  The Kebab Shop caught my eye a few months ago in the Gaslamp District, right across the street from Cafe Chloe.  You know what that means - if you're with your wife, the romance of a French Bistro wins every time over a giant hunk of lamb spinning on a horizontal skewer.  Don't even try, there is no way in Hell you will convince your wife to go there. 

So how happy was I when a new Kebab Shop opened in my shopping center in Encinitas.  Today I am flying solo, my wife back to work to keep us in the Top 1%.  So there I was.

The "Döner Kebab" was what I had my eye on.  Now I will admit this, I had never had a Döner Kebab before, though I have eaten plenty of gyro sandwiches, which is kind of the same thing - only different.

I got mine with lamb, but you can get chicken or falafel, though I see no point in that.  You can also get it in sandwich format, or on a plate, or even in a box like it was Chinese food, but again, why?  The sliced meat was piled high on a flatbread that looked suspiciously like a flour tortilla and on went the sauce, the onions, the lettuce, the tomato, and it was all rolled up like, well, a burrito.

For less than $7 you get this giant rolled up meal.  But enough staring, let's take a bite and see how it is.

Oh yeah, this is really good.  The meat had a good spice on it and the tang of the sauce was just right.  I think you could easily split this for 2 but I ate it.  All of it.  Diet starts tomorrow now.  How does it compare to a Gyro?  It's better.  Way better because there's more meat than bread, plus it's burrito friendly to eat, unlike a gyro where you wear half of the sauce down your arm.  Frankly, after eating one of these there is simply no reason to ever go back to a gyro again.

If your experience with shaved meats spinning on giant horizontal skewers stops with places like Daphne's (which I call Crapne's), if you love gyros but hate the mess, if you agree that anything is better if wrapped like a burrito, then get in the car and head over to the Kebab Shop.  I love my wife, I love Cafe Chloe, but man do I ever love The Kebab Shop.

LOCAL WALLY MEANS THE BEST OF SAN DIEGO:  www.localwally.com