Southern California Meet n Greet Philippe 4/19/09

It’s time for pictures!

This is what you can expect at Phillipe’s on a Sunday afternoon before a Dodger game. Everyone in line trying to decide what to order:



This is what it’s all about. I’ve been coming here for at least 40 years and the prices haven’t changed that much. Well a little.



My standard order (minus the pickled egg because I was looking at two more meals!)

A pork sandwich, coleslaw and a pickle! I only dip once because the sandwich falls apart if double dipped. I can’t have that!



I have to doctor up my sandwich. I add some of their hot mustard and top with coleslaw. It’s ALWAYS good!



So, was this weekend about the food or the people? Both!

Sop That (Joe) took this picture. ACK! My hair is grey! I know what I’ll be doing in the next couple of days.

That’s Mrs. Joe on the left. Sorry but I never got your name. Followed by Jeff (I think that’s your name) Glenn’s son, Big Glenn, Red Patty, me and Wanderingjew (Dale).



EliseT made it! That’s Catasaurus (Pilar) next to Elise, Morganen (Elizabeth) who is our newest member and her friend who’s name I missed.



Everyone’s eating! You already know everyone except for Sop That in the back right corner. Hey Joe!

I don’t want to miss anyone so…. That’s Mr. T on the left.



From here we went to Olvera Street for some Taquitos. That story and more pictures to follow!

Does Philippe's have a separate dip for each kind of sandwich?  Ham might taste a bit odd dipped in beef au jus...or maybe it doesn't!

Brad

Olvera Street is just down the block from Phillipe’s. Both are across the street from Union Station but I didn’t get any pictures of the station.  

I didn’t want to stay parked in Phillipe’s parking lot when people were fighting for a space so I asked Pilar if she wanted to ride with me to Olvera Street. OS is where Los Angeles began.

www.olvera-street.com

Very touristy but on the corner is Cielito Lindo. Now this place I’ve been going to for over *cough* 50 years. EliseT thinks that La Luz de la Dia is better, but I’m not sure. Dale said that he’d try both!

That’s Pilar on the right of the picture.



So where is Dale and the gang? We didn’t see them anywhere. We walked the entire length of OS and no one. We walked back the entire length and still didn’t see any of them. It was over 90 degrees out and we again walked the full length of OS with no success. Hmmmm

By that time we were both dying from the heat. We needed a drink!

So, at Cielito Lindo we both ordered a shameful one taquito. My standard order is always three.

They claim that the sauce is avocado but it has always seemed more of a tomatillo to me. Now I'm a hater of cilantro and this sauce definitely has some in it, but you know… it doesn’t matter it’s that good! I guess if I can’t see it, I can’t hate it.



Pilar and I waited some more for the gang to show up, but they never did. We decided to call it a day and said our goodbyes. She wasn’t going to join us for dinner but I knew where I was headed.

Back down the entire length of OS to my hot car.

Coming up next…. Dinner at Park’s!

Same dip for all.  My roommate gets the ham sandwich but she never has it dipped.  I usually get the pork or lamb.  (Or both!)

Next stop, Park’s BBQ for dinner.

I had no idea what time everyone was going to be there because we got separated before deciding.

I thought 6PM was a good time for dinner so I drove to Korea Town knowing I was there when I saw this billboard:



Just about under the sign was a strip mall containing Park’s BBQ



I was lucky and got a parking space on the street. It was $2 to park in the lot and I had already spent $9 for parking at Olvera Street.

This strip mall looked very familiar but it wasn’t until I got home that I realized why. During our Rodney King riot the proprietors of this mall got on the roof and protected their businesses with guns and rifles and maybe even assault rifles! (Just a little trivia which is also redundant)

It was too hot to sit in my car so I sat on a little bench in front of Park’s. At a little before 6PM wanderingjew (Dale) arrived. Great guess for timing on my part! Dale informed me that everyone else decided that they’d pass on the Korean dinner and have Japanese Monday night. He also wanted to know what happened to Pilar and me because they were all looking for us at Olvera Street. Don’t know how we missed each other.

The inside of the restaurant was modern with a grill at each table and a unique looking venting system above.



We both looked over the menu and I let Dale decide for both of us. I found out that we think alike. Dale ordered a prime beef and pork belly. Where we think alike is that he also ordered a noodle dish. Wouldn’t want to miss out on anything!

I was still feeling the affects of the heat so I ordered a Korean Beer called Hite. I asked for something light. It came in a HUGE bottle so we shared.



First we got our salads but we weren’t sure what to do with them. I know... eat them!  



But our waitress whom we couldn’t understand had brought over a cookie sheet filled with other little dishes. A lot of little dishes. They’re called Banshan or Panshan or something like that. In each was a small amount of unidentified stuff. We questioned but couldn’t decipher the answers.



Here is Dale and the Banshan




The meat was also on the tray and it was completely raw.



Here’s the Banshan around grill





I wasn’t happy with the way one of the little dishes looked. Whatever was in it had these tiny bumps all over it. Not appetizing looking at all. I did understand when our waitress said…tripe. I don’t eat tripe or jellyfish which was in the dish right next to it. Ick

 

The beef is on. The waitress and sometimes the waiter did the cooking. All they needed was a pair of tongs and a long scissors.





This is my tiny 4 inchish bowl with some of the beef and Banshan.



When we were almost done eating the beef the waitress put the pork belly on to the grill. Looked just like thick fatty bacon to me.  



Dale and I both had the same thought when the pork belly was cooking. How do we know when it’s done?  This has got to be healthy!

It’s done!  I was impressed with the pork belly.  I've seen it at the Asian grocery store and now I know how to prepare it.  Although it had a ton of fat, it didn't eat like it did.  I mean that you didn't feel like you were chewing a bunch of fat like you do on a steak.   Maybe Dale felt otherwise.



Here is the order of spicy noodles. I was surprised at how fine they were. I was expecting a thicker noodle. It wasn’t spicy, just delicious. I had a little trouble eating them because of my teeth or lack of. Funny that I could chew the beef and troubled over noodles. The dressing was nicely seasoned with a sesame oil undertone. The addition of cucumber slivers was a nice light balance to the heavy tasting noodle.





This was the end to a wonderful meal. Good food and excellent company. Thank you Dale for including us in your LA eating adventures.  



I had such a good time that I’m going to do it again tonight.

See you there!

Mar52,

Great pictures!  Looking forward to the next get together with this group.

Joe

What time are we meeting at daichan????

We got in from Fresno late Saturday night after taking a detour driving through Death Valley while it is still cool enough to not be concerned with car breakdown.
 
I chimed in Sunday morning about a terrific Pot Pie Palace we had lunch at on Friday, see the Trips Reports forum for comments, then I got 2 messages that this meet, greet and eet was at 1pm. I told my wife we should go and she agreed however an hour later our son, his wife and our 2 grandchildren showed up unannouned and asked us to babysit as while we were gone my son got a hold of some near courtside tickets for the Lakers first playoff game with a 12:30 game time,  our plans went down the drain as our 2 grandchildren 7 and 5, boy n girl would not do well at a get together and it wouldn't be fair to the other attendees.
 
Looks like you all had a good ol' good time. Everyone appeared happy and younger that we had imagined, we're 2 ticks away from 60.
 
 

Marlene, your photos and commentary are the best!  I sure wish I could have joined you and Dale for dinner at Park's ... it looks like it was a real adventure.  You didn't mention how you liked  the beef.  Was it memorable?  

FYI, for Sunday's get together I'd walked the 1.25 miles from my workplace over to Phillipe's, which was warm but not miserable.  The walk back afterwards, though, was pretty grueling.  It was in the mid-90s and I was really overheated by the time I finally made it back up Bunker Hill (yes, for non-LA folks it really is called that) and to my car.

I can't wait to hear about Monday night's dinner and so those photos, too.

I mentioned to our group that I wrote this Poem a while back on another Roadfood Thread. I just found it and thought I would
share it.

"Velveeta"

Cheese is Cheese, may be good with a Fine Wine
But, I choose Velveeta from time to time.
Casseroles, Sandwiches and even Rotel Dip
You know Velveeta is always worth the trip

Stick up your nose and be sure to walk away
But you will come back to Velveeta some day.
When no one is watching and you know you will
You come running fast for that Velveeta thrill.

That’s alright, most of us really do understand
It’s hard to admit being a Velveeta loving man.
Well, Me a Velveeta Lover? You just bet I am.
Nothing tastes better on a piece of Fried Spam!



Big Glenn.......

Cute. Glenn!  Thanks for finding it for us!

We had so much fun Sunday night that we did it again Monday night.

From 3,000 miles away, wanderingjew (Dale) chose Daichan to be one of his dinner meals. It just so happens that I work just down the street a couple of miles. I’m in! How did he ever find a restaurant in a strip mall so close to me that I’d never heard of?



When I walked in I was amazed! There was “stuff” everywhere! Even between stuff there was stuff.



It was even hanging from the ceiling.



Ready for food that’s wanderingjew (Dale) Big Glenn, his son Shane and Morganen (Elizabeth). EliseT is on her way.



I started with their special house drink.  Cold Ginger Tea.  It tasted exactly like Vick's Cough Drops.  I mean Exactly!  I kept adding iced water until it tasted good.

We started with an assortment of appetizers which we all shared.

Elizabeth chose the Garlic Baby Squid. Babies? Were they going to be whole? I’m not so sure I’ll taste them, but they were cut up and I can eat the rings. The tentacles scare me. They were good. Delicate as opposed to rubber bands and the sauce was very nice.


We let Dale choose the rest of the appetizers.

I think this sushi roll was called Shogun. It was filed with fried shrimp. Not that great as I felt they had no real taste. Thank goodness for soy and wasabi.



I would never have guessed what this one was unless I heard that it was Yakisoba. All the Yakisoba that I’ve ever had was like pan fried noodles. This was definitely different. The sum of the parts added up to Yakisoba except for the broth. I found it too slimey and it took away the taste of the other ingredients.  



Chicken Gyoza. We had the choice of steamed or fried so we opted for the higher calorie content. Very good with a great Ponzu. Sauce. (I think)



Next was my favorite appetizer.

I would never have ordered something called stuffed pumpkin. It just doesn’t sound appetizing to me. WRONG! The way it was served was thin wedges with a stuffing of chicken or something in the concave area then a light batter and deep fried. Delicious!



With all of our choices it was an interesting assortment of varied tastes.

For our main dishes we each chose something knowing that we’d be sharing.

I chose the mixed Poki which is diced marinated sashimi over a bed of greens... which were over white rice. I chose white rice. Some of the other chose brown for their dishes. It was delicious but I thought the amount of fish was very small for it to be considered a main dish.

I didn’t take a picture of Dale’s because he chose Poki with just one type of fish.  



Elizabeth chose the seafood plate which she was quite happy with. Again for me the sauce was without much flavor but the seafood was very good.



Somehow I missed getting pictures of what Glenn and Shane ordered.  They both ordered chicken, but with different types of sauce.  Both were very good.  

The dinners that weren’t served on top of rice came with a side of rice and a wedge of watermelon and some small vegetables.



I think we all did them justice!



EliseT joined us towards the end of the meal and we caravanned for dessert.


We met at the Aroma Café. It’s in a cute section of Studio City where people are still awake and out when the sun goes down.

 

But first…

This place was so exciting that I never got a picture of the outside or the name. EliseT told us that it’s owned by Nancy Silverton or her sister or niece or something like that. Who was listening when this was in front of me?  

Gelatto!



What to choose!? If you knew me you’d know that I love chocolate. Mine was a deep, rich chocolate and Mascarpone. YUMMM!



We then crossed the street to show some of us Vitello’s Italian Restaurant. Vitello’s where Robert Blake….

Then back across the street to Aroma. Get a good look at this picture because Dale was told NO Photography right after he clicked. No one noticed me!



Elise bought this yummazing cube of red velvet delight. It was covered in a layer of chocolate and had a layer of cream cheese in the middle. She shared with us and we sat and chatted without typing.  

It was another wonderful evening with wonderful people. We’re all hoping to do it again.

Thanks friends!

Thanks to everyone that participated in our gathering on both days. We did have a great time. Next time I suggest no one wears a watch. I think we could have chatted all night. I did see Elizabeth's eyes close for more than a few seconds there at the end. I wish I could have seen the look on Elises face when she first saw me in Hand Cuffs with Burbanks Finest. Don't worry, I escaped from the cuffs and that story is our little secret. I am so looking forward to the next Roadfood get together. I hope it is not 5 years away and I hope I am invited! Thanks Dale....Your Are The Man....The Roadfood Man!

Hello everyone. Wow, what a great Sunday and Monday! The food, the people, and the conversation were all top notch. Thanks so much Dale for putting this together! 
 
Marlene-Your pictures are amazing and I too am a fan of your comentary. 
 
Glenn-I was NOT falling asleep! Well, especially when the handcuffs came out. Love the Velveeta poem by the way.
 
Elise-Looking forward to grabbing lunch in Burbank.

Everyone-Thanks for being so welcoming and making my first roadfood gathering wonderful.

From the hotel computer in Redondo Beach...

Before I head off for another smoothie ....I just thought I would say that I thoroughly enjoyed meeting  you guys, and of course seeing Red Patti, Elise T and Bob again, today is my last full day in LA, I'll be returning to San Diego tommorow morning for the remainder of my trip.....

I had an absolute blast!

Maybe I'm the only person who sees this but Morganen reminds me of the actress Alyson Hannigan...
 
Brad

Brad, I think she resembles Ms. Hannigan too ( "How I Met Your Roadfooder"? )

Brad_Olson


...Morganen reminds me of the actress Alyson Hannigan.

Ten bucks says that wanderingjew asked if she had ever been to "band camp."

Brad - You are definitely not the only person that thinks I resemble Alyson Hannigan. I get that quite often actually, haha.

I think that's a real compliment!

Marlene, wonderful pictures and narrative--you guys had a wonderful time and some great looking food!

i95

Brad_Olson


...Morganen reminds me of the actress Alyson Hannigan.

Ten bucks says that wanderingjew asked if she had ever been to "band camp."

Raise.

Twenty bucks says that wanderingjew asked her about lutefisk.

Mar52: 
 
Great photos and narrative!  That looks like a LOT of food.  I was inspired to go by a Korean BBQ joint yesterday, but it was closed for good. 

amazing narrative and pics, Mar52 !!!!!!!!!

from french dips to baby squid to shogun sushi , you guys covered all the bases !
It's neat that you are way more adventurous in your Roadfood tastes than I am !
no burgers and beef ribs in this report !

My son and I did our own thing for lunch Monday after checking out of the hotel. When I told the group what I had for lunch they collectively sighed and secretly voted to have me ousted from Roadfood. I quickly apologized to both the group and my son. Hey, where I have lived the last 5 years we don't have a Church's Chicken anymore! They closed it right after I moved there. That’s right, in all of Los Angles I chose to eat Chicken at Church’s. May the Roadfood Gods forgive me.

BigGlenn


My son and I did our own thing for lunch Monday after checking out of the hotel. When I told the group what I had for lunch they collectively sighed and secretly voted to have me ousted from Roadfood. I quickly apologized to both the group and my son. Hey, where I have lived the last 5 years we don't have a Church's Chicken anymore! They closed it right after I moved there. That’s right, in all of Los Angles I chose to eat Chicken at Church’s. May the Roadfood Gods forgive me.

 
No need to apologize, one must always follow their taste buds cravings. I live in Pasadena and over the years have had business in Apple Valley, Victorville and the Barstow areas, also we pass through on our way to the deserts or Las Vegas. Now, of all the gin joints in all the world, many times my wife and I would go out of our way to stop at the Barstow Station for lunch. We like the ambience, the gift shops and there are 2 eateries inside we like, the Chinese kitchen ala Panda Express and the Cuban food stand, not fantastic culinary experiences nor gourmet eating but we like what we like and we like to eat there despite many higher quality dining choices

JonJax
   As a former long-term Desert Rat and High Desert resident, I can identify with the places you mention in the Victor Valley for 'travel-food'. Barstow was and is sort of the end-of-the-world, even for us desert Folks!!  For years Victorville was the place the L A folks would stop for food and gas on the long ride out to Vegas, but with the improvements in roads and cars, that stop would get pushed further and further out into the desert. The Lenwood side of Barstow became a major stop, replacing the Victorville FF stops.  Even BAKER has expanded it's offerings for the desert traveler!!

Yep, an In-&-Out in Hesperia, followed by a 'Tom's Burger' (next to the RR McDonalds in East Barstow) then a Mad Greek Gyro in Baker...and I would not be hungry when I got to Whisky Pete's at the State Line!

mar52

 
Just curious, is that woman in blue and in the forefront above looking at me or my office mate to my left?

Yes.

Nancy, please stay on topic. 

Actually, I think that she is afraid that WJ is going to come over and start talking to her.

Greymo


Actually, I think that she is afraid that WJ is going to come over and start talking to her.

Nice thought but that didn't exactly work out for wanderingjew's last three girlfriends.