UnHipLA » Eats

Grilled Cheese Truck Line

UnHipLA — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 23:49:42 +0000

@ Chefs Center in Pasadena for the Friday Food Fair. The line was actually longer than this. Sigh.

Alhambra Chicago Style Popcorn

UnHipLA — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 12:49:00 +0000

Ever since I first tasted Garrett’s Chicago Mix while in Chicago, I have been trying to find a similar creation in the San Gabriel Valley. The mall popcorn stands just can’t capture the warm, oily, cheesy caramel-y goodness that is the Chicago Mix. The mix has to be served hot, fresh, and greasy. Well, finally, I found a good substitute – at the Kettle Korn stand at the Alhambra Farmer’s Market! It’s not quite Chicago style but close enough. And it was served hot and fresh. $6 for a good size bag. I was in heaven all day. True Chicago Style has separate cheese corn and caramel corn mixed together, but the Alhambra version has the cheese and caramel mixed together on one kernel. Still works for me.

Ma Jasmin’s

UnHipLA — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 07:51:49 +0000

After reading about Ma Jasmin’s on Wandering Chopsticks’ Twitter feed, I knew I had to try it. Here they are below at the Alhambra Farmer’s Market, Sundays from 8:30 am to 1 pm. I loved their samosa rolls – the spinach and cheddar was delicious globs of Indian spinach and good ol’ cheddar wrapped like an eggroll – a great combo! The beef and potato samosa roll was also quite tasty. I should have taken a picture of the rolls opened but I couldn’t control myself after one bite and inhaled them both. I read on other blogs that Ma Jasmin’s is British Indian food. I loooved loooved it and will be back to try their whole menu. In fact, I found out that they participate in the Chef’s Center’s Friday Food Fair in Pasadena. Can’t wait for my next fix!

A Change of Heart: Fresh and Easy

Sun, 26 Apr 2009 20:50:06 +0000

I’ve become a fan of the store. I know I pooh-poohed it in other posts, but now I have become a fan of the artisan sourdough wheat bread (it toasts quite well) and the super-fast checkouts. I have never stood in line there. I just walk right on up to one of the atm-like check out stands and voila, I’m out. I think it helps if you don’t have a lot of items, which is usually my case. I tried one of the soups (as per a reader’s suggestion) and it was good too, and I finally got a bag of lettuce that did not go bad in a day. I will say the store definitely is "easy" and the bread tasted very "fresh."

It’s chicken and ice cream week!

Sun, 26 Apr 2009 20:34:53 +0000

From J, I learned this:

Monday, April 27 – Free grilled chicken at KFC. Grilled, not fried. KFC’s branching out.

Tuesday, April 28 – Free chicken at El Pollo Loco till 8 pm.

Wednesday, April 29 – .31 cent scoop night at Baskin Robbins from 5 – 10 pm (firefighter fundraiser)

Yeha! Recession dining continues…

Eat for Pennies

Tue, 07 Apr 2009 08:59:59 +0000

Hop Li in Arcadia is currently running a $1.38 dim sum promotion (Monday through Friday) celebrating its 4th anniversary. Hop Li is one of my favorite dim sum places because there’s usually no line. I hate waiting in line for dim sum. Sure, you might think the no line is a bad sign but it’s not. Hop Li is in Arcadia, far enough away from the Monterery Park, San Gabriel, and Alhambra dim sum scene that it doesn’t attract big numbers. Plus the restaurant is large and nice looking.

Twohey’s in Alhambra has a month-long $.66 special celebrating their 66 years in business.

April 9 – 15 = .66 floats

April 18 – 22 = .66 mini-sundaes

April 23 – 30 = .66 Stink-O-Sliders (I believe these are little burgers.)

Eat for pennies! Hooray for anniversaries!

This looks tasty!

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 04:36:35 +0000

Indian sandwiches or naanwiches ! I’ll have to stop by this place next time I’m in the Miracle Mile. I read about this on EatingLA.com. I tried to do a direct link to her post about the Cowboys & Turbans restaurant but I couldn’t figure out how to do it. Cowboys and Turbans serves Indian street food.

Limp Lettuce Found Again at Fresh & Easy

Sun, 29 Mar 2009 22:06:31 +0000

I got the Greek salad from Fresh and Easy and it was very disappointing – just some hacked up leaves thrown haphazardly in a container. (Trader Joe’s has much better salad presentation.) The leaves did not remain fresh for longer than a day despite the freshness date on the package. Is this because Fresh and Easy does not use preservatives, artificial flavorings and colorings? Has anyone else received limp, brown lettuce from this place? This is the second time I’ve brought home salad from them and saw it turn brown within a day.

Anyhow and regardless of my disappointment with F&E, I still find myself drawn to the place and buying chocolate chip granola bars from them.

BBQ for $5 at Whole Foods

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 01:10:48 +0000

Can a cheap meal be had at Whole Foods? As I get to know its second floor eating area better, I think I can say….Yes. The breakfasts, tacos, and Middle Eastern food all seemed reasonably priced. Then I saw this on WF’s (Arroyo Parkway location) calendar:

Saturday March 21st and Sunday 22nd

Whole Lotta BBQ!

12pm-3pm $5 per plate

Join us at the Demo Station both days to get your loaded down plate of BBQ, chips/cookies, salad, and drink for only $5! And all the proceeds go to the Whole Planet Foundation. Help end poverty and end your hunger all at the same time!

____

Get your plate "loaded" with BBQ for only $5? This I have to see and maybe I will see it twice.

Yesterday, I had WF’s Korean spicy chicken bowl and I was pleased with it; the spinach and brown rice with it were great. It’s not that cheap though at a little over $8, but it was good and the health factor makes me like it more than other Korean fare. It’s what I would call Healthy Korean Cuisine.

Whole Foods affordable in a recession? It just may be possible. Plus they have free Wifi.

Whole Foods

465 South Arroyo Parkway
Pasadena, CA 91105 USA
Phone 626.204.2266

www.wholefoodsmarket.com

Fresh & Easy Visit #3

Mon, 16 Feb 2009 22:29:04 +0000

So I’ve now been to Fresh & Easy in Alhambra three times and can say this – I don’t like the shopping experience there. The aisles are smaller than most grocery stores, so it’s hard not to run into someone. I felt cramped and cornered there. Also the ready-made food section looked very uninspired. I could not bring myself to buy anything from there. I do, however, like the tea section; it seemed to have more unique teas than most stores and A LOT cheaper at $2.15/box. Whole Foods did not have chocolate tea, but Fresh & Easy did. (I just saw that Trader Joe’s sells tea cheaper than Fresh and Easy.) I did get some Fresh & Easy chocolate granola bars that were hearty and tasty. I did not look forward to checking myself out though. As I was bagging my groceries, another family started scanning their purchases, so their stuff collided with mine. Grrrr! After shopping at F & E, I have decided I like the little luxury of having a clerk and bag person. F & E makes Ralphs seem like a spa. I did see a lot of families shopping at F & E, so I’m guessing there are good deals on meat and produce. I’m really more of a ready-made, frozen, and snack shopper, so perhaps my views of F & E are not the norm. Also, I think the rainy weather has made me more cross than usual. Grrrr!