Five Guys Burgers Proves It's Hard To Make a Good Burger

I love burgers but I'm not a burger snob.  OK, yes, I love gourmet burgers with bleu cheese and kobe beef, but I also love the little McDonalds burgers that looked like someone sat on them first.  Basically, I set my burger bar pretty low.  Pretty, pretty low.

Five Guys Burgers opened in my neighborhood a while back but I've resisted going because I've gotten some pretty darn good burgers at Third Corner and frankly, I am always a bit suspect whenever you walk into a place and every poster on the wall and hanging from the ceiling says "Best burger in town as voted by ___________ (fill in the blank with the name of some city in the middle of the US)".  A bit like Tamra saying she's the hottest housewife in the OC - once you say it, it's probably not true.

Anyway, so here's the drill so you don't feel like an idiot.  When you order you tell them what you want on the burger and all toppings are included.  Onions, mushrooms peppers, condiments, you pick.  They are kind enough to tell you that the fries serve two and the service was super nice.  Feeling good.  I order and spend a bit of time trying to figure out the Coke machine and then wow, look!

Barrels of peanuts!  Free!  All you can eat!  OK, liking this.  But I didn't want to fill up as I ordered a "little burger", which is really just a single patty burger.

This is a $4 burger and weighs in at 480 calories, probably even more since I asked for mayo on the burger.  Now for comparison, a regular burger at In N Out is 390 calories and for the 480 you can upgrade to a cheeseburger.  I don't mind the calories as long as the food is worth it.  So I take a bite and I'm back in high school!  No, I'm not saying I was all happy and nostalgic, I'm saying this darn thing tasted like a crappy high school cafeteria burger!  The bun was sort of steamed, the burger tasteless, the mayo had that artificial sweet taste like they used Miracle Whip, it was meh. And I'm being nice.  Shoot, how many calories again?

Let's rip open that bag of fries.

You should know me by now, I love fries and unlike burgers I am very particular about fries.  Well, these actually passed the test.  A lot like Boardwalk fries, you do get a ton of them and I loved that they had malt vinegar to sprinkle on top.  Crispy, salty, a hit.

As we were finishing up their staff quickly comes by and takes the wrappers off the table and thanks us and smiles, which is nice.  But good fries, free peanuts and a nice staff can't make up for a lousy burger, and at $16 for two for lunch (2 little burgers, one order of fries, 2 small drinks) it's just too expensive and not worth the calories.

Now I want a Double Double to reaffirm my love for burgers.  Damn, I hate that.

San Diego's Love Affair with Fish Tacos and Taco Shops

If you've spent much time in San Diego you know what I'm talking about.  Taco shops on every corner, in every strip mall, that's how we roll.  So the idea of a taco shop connected to a gas station with a car wash right outside seems as natural as rice and beans. Fill er up!

El Pueblo Taco Shop (820 Birmingham Dr, Cardiff, CA) is located right off the 5 in San Diego North County.  Common sense might tell you that there is no way this place is going to be any good, but the buzz around town was that they had the best fish tacos in town.

Here's the menu with the usual suspects.  Prices were pretty good, a bit cheaper than a traditional "non-gas station location" joint.  Really, not that much more than Taco Bell, and TB has really gone downhill since they got busted for using some sort of Soylent Green meat product in their food.

Mmmmmm, salsa.  I love different hot sauces and they had plenty to choose from, from chunky salsa fresca to green to a smokey chipotle sort of sauce.  And look, free hot carrots! 

Right now they are running a special that I hope will last a long time but probably won't - Fish Tacos for $.99.  Before we dive in, let me tell  you where I am coming from.  My favorite fish taco is from The Brigantine when I want fried, and South Beach in OB when I want freshly grilled.  The 99 cent taco here is fried and that's cool with me.  

And here they are!  Double wrapped, crispy fish, nice and fresh.  The fish was a bit skimpy, about the same as Rubio's, but the flavor was good, not fishy at all.  On my taco scale I would rate these better than Rubios, not quite as good as The Brig - but at $.99, what a great deal!  Remember, this is the same price Taco Bell charges for their terrible crunchy taco and the difference is night and day.  


My wife also ordered a Tostada, which to me looked a lot like Taco Bell but she claims it was way better.

The shell was crunchy, the beans authentic tasting, she liked this.  Personally I hate tostadas just because of the eating concept (do you pick it up, do you break it up).  Whoever invented the tostada had no real idea of what this thing was,  sort of like the guys who make sandwiches 10" tall with a runny egg on top.  What am I supposed to do with that?  OK, enough food ranting.

So here's the bottom line - you find yourself in North San Diego county, you should check this place out.  Impress your Yelp! friends who want to go to crummy places like Casa de Bandini and say "Look, I know a little hole in the wall joint that has the best 99 cent fish tacos in San Diego and we can even get our car washed while we eat" and wow, will they be impressed with you or what?


El Pueblo Taco Shop
820 Birmingham Dr
Cardiff, CA
Right off the 5 freeway

Is Ad Hoc in Napa the "French Laundry" for the Common Man?

Last week I found myself in Napa looking for a place to eat dinner.  With so many great places to eat, it's hard to pick just one.  After a disappointing meal at Paon in Carlsbad last week, I decided to play it safe and go to a Thomas Keller restaurant.  You know this guy, the man behind The French Laundry, one of the top rated restaurants in the world.  But The French Laundry costs $250 per person and it's not hard to spend a thousand bucks for two.  So as much as I wanted to eat there, we went downscale a bit and ended up at Ad Hoc, priced at a much more reasonable $52 per person.

Now here's the deal with Ad Hoc - there's only one meal they serve each night.  Everyone gets the same thing and the food is served "family style", meaning one plate put in the middle of the table.  But this is no Coco's, trust me. 

The restaurant is casual and bustling like a bistro, casual enough for jeans but with a nice upscale vibe to it.  Look, there's even a screaming baby ("more pork belly!").  I was so hungry that I could have eaten that baby.  Thankfully, we were seated on the other side of the restaurant. 

Since everyone gets the same thing there are no decisions to make!  I like that.  I hate ordering and then seeing the other plates come out and wishing I had ordered something else.  Tonight's dinner started with a perfectly dressed endive, watercress and pea shoot salad.  Now I know, salads are sometimes not all that exciting but this one was delicious, fresh and just perfect.   Sniff, sniff, what's that I smell?

Pork Belly!  Whoo Hoo!  Some of you out there might be thinking that this is gross or weird, but remember that bacon is made from pork belly.  Feel better?  And also note that when you cook pork belly low and slow the fat renders out and all you are left with is the most moist and succulent meat ever with a melt in your mouth consistency topped with a crispy skin.  I would eat this all the time if it wouldn't kill me.

The main course, the pork short ribs.  A pork short rib is the meaty section of the first 3 ribs closest to the shoulder.  Thomas cooked this simply but perfectly and then sliced it off the bone.  This isn't like a spare rib, it's more like a pork shoulder texture and packed with savory flavors.  Good?  Great!  And to go with it, some of the best mashed potatoes I've ever had.

By now I was stuffed, so full, and pretty satisfied.  But wait, there's more!

So....full.

But...must....eat....cheese....and....candied....walnuts....with....honey.

So darn good.  Going back a bit, when we first decided to dine here the hostess went over the menu and said that the only thing she thought was just OK was the dessert.  That's OK with me as I am not a huge dessert guy.  But ready or not, here it comes.

It's Panna Cotta and it was so good that I wished I had a long tongue like my dog so I could have licked the entire bowl clean!  Yes, it was that good.  But didn't I say I was stuffed?  Yes, and now I was very stuffed.  So stuffed that I asked to have my cookie wrapped to take home.  That's it?  One cookie?  Yes, don't embarrass me.

At the end, I could barely walk back to my car.  I don't normally eat like a pig but this food was so good that I couldn't help myself.  In fact, this meal has to go down as one of the best meals I have ever had in my life.  It wasn't cheap -  $180 was the final tab for two after adding drinks - but unlike Paon in Carlsbad where I left thinking I could have cooked it better, when I left Ad Hoc I knew that Thomas Keller deserves all the praise he has been given.

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 Magazines Best Fried Chicken Recipe

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.  I'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.  Overnight???  OK, so if you don't want to wait all night for your fried chicken, 3 to 4 hours sitting in the fridge works just fine.  The idea is to get the spices and salt inside the chicken, not just on the surface, so time is your friend.

Getting ready to hit the oil

STEP TWO:  Let's Cook This Chicken!
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.

Whisk the flour, cornstarch and the rest of the salt and pepper in a bowl.  Dip the chicken in buttermilk then dredge in the flour and cornstarch mixture.  No double dipping required.  Place chicken in oil and fry the chicken, turning it every couple of minutes.  Be careful the first time you flip that you don't knock all the breading off the uncooked side.  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 since 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.  Place cooked chicken on a rack so it does not sit in its own drippings and stays nice and crisp.

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
WALLY LOVES SAN DIEGO BEER!  www.DrinkUpSanDiego.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
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