Back to Boo's

My buddy Chris was itchin' to go try Boo's Philly Cheesesteaks. He had driven by it a few times, and apparently Chris doesn't read my blog because he had to ask me if Boo's was good. On the day that we planned to go, I was actually pretty sick and almost cancelled. I really thought that there was no way I could get out of bed. But then I thought of having a delicious chicken cheesesteak, and I knew I had to go.

Chris was so excited that he showed up with his fancy camera and took most of these lovely pictures that you are seeing here today. In fact, you can probably tell the two that came from my camera, they aren't as fancy. Chris ordered a plain cheesesteak with provolone, and I ordered a chicken cheesesteak with onions and American cheese. We also ordered cheese fries.

Chris loved that Boo's is a corner location. He also liked the atmosphere inside and thought it felt very authentic. He liked how it smelled inside too.

Our food came out to us quickly and it looked good.

Chris thought the meat was a little chewy, but not necessarily in a bad way, and he liked the flavor of the meat. He didn't think there was quite enough provolone. I told him I think its because it doesn't melt nearly as good as American cheese, so next time he will do American or whiz. He also liked the roll.

I liked my chicken cheesesteak a lot. This to me is exactly how its supposed to taste...perfectly seasoned, meat chopped up just right, and the perfect amount of cheese melty in every bite. Using shredded chicken just like the steak is essential. A lot of places don't understand this, and they use huge chunks of chicken breast, and I hate that. I think next time I go to Boo's, I will add bell pepper to my chicken cheesesteak. I always have the cherry hots on the side, and I add them in as I go.

Chris was not a huge fan of the cheese fries. We both thought there needed to be more cheese, next time I may just ask for the cheese on the side. I thought the actual fries were good, but they reminded Chris of Burger King fries and he's not a big fan of those.

We bought some Tastykake pies at the end of our meal, Apple and Cherry.

Overall Chris really liked Boo's and thinks its one of the best places we've been to. He also said he will go back and recommend it as well. I think Boo's is great, and the chicken cheesesteak impressed me even more. I think this is going to become one of my regular spots.

Boos Philly Cheesesteaks And Hoagies

4501 Fountain Ave.

Los Angeles, CA 90029

323-661-1955

www.boosphillycheesesteaks.com

Boos Philly Cheesesteaks

Reunited and it feels so good!

My good friend Leigha and I finally got together to hit up a new cheesesteak spot. Leigha's uncle recommended this place to her, so we knew it had to be good.

I arrived first and sat at a little table outside. I noticed people constantly coming and going, and I could hear the clanging on the grill that never really seemed to stop. It was kind of an off time too, but they were still busy. A good sign.

Once Leigha arrived, we went inside and ordered. Leigha got her usual cheesesteak, no onions, provolone. I got my usual, onions and American. We also decided to try their pizza fries.

I noticed on the front counter that there was a nice selection of Wise chips and Tastykakes.

The atmosphere was really cool, and there were plenty of tables to choose from inside and outside as well. Our food came up fairly quick.

The first thing I noticed was that the cheese wasn't melted in, so I was a bit worried. I also noticed that I could see little pepper speckles on top and on the roll, but I was excited about that. I took my first bite, and all worries went away. It was good!!

Even though the cheese wasn't mixed in, it wasn't a problem. There still seemed to be just the right amount of melty cheese in each bite. You can see here how the cheese is mostly under the meat:

The meat was good quality, and cooked well. It was cut to a good bite size and not overcooked or dry. It was juicy in fact, but without being too messy. The onions were cooked perfectly. We both loved the roll. Of course we did, it was Amoroso's!

The big Leigha test is always if she needs to add salt. This place passed the test. We both thought it was perfectly seasoned, and I loved the amount of pepper. Most places don't add enough for my liking. Leigha was also pleased with the meat to bread ratio, and found the sandwich to be very filling. We both got some little hot peppers at a little condiment station, I got my little cherry hots that I like so much.

The pizza fries came smothered in sauce and mozzarella cheese:

Leigha wasn't crazy about the fries, but then she also isn't a huge fan of tomato sauce. I actually liked them a lot, but next time we'll just try the plain cheese fries.

Boos is one of the best finds in a long time for a traditional cheesesteak. We also really like the name of this place. I even love the look of their menu and their logo. I will definitely be back to try their chicken cheesesteak and hoagies. One of the best in LA so far...

Boos Philly Cheesesteaks And Hoagies

4501 Fountain Ave.

Los Angeles, CA 90029

323-661-1955

www.boosphillycheesesteaks.com

Harvey's Sandwich Shop

My buddy Chris and I set out for another cheesesteak. This time we decided to check out Harvey's Sandwich Shop.

Inside it was very tiny, but cute.

There was a nice little condiment station with peppers, pickles and sauces, and I actually thought the pickles were really good!

We both ordered the cheesesteak combo. I got mine with onions, Chris got his without. They serve their steaks with mayo, but we both skipped it.

The cheesesteaks came up pretty quick. The rolls were wide and flat, again, not what I am used to. But at least it held the steak pretty well. I noticed right away that the cheese was just thrown on the roll. Fortunately, most of the cheese melted.

Chris liked that the inside of the roll was toasted, he agreed that it was different, but he enjoyed it. His biggest issue was that there was not enough meat in his sandwich.

I felt like I had a decent amount of meat, and the onions were chopped and cooked well. There may have actually been more onions than meat. The meat wasn't bland, and actually had a good amount of pepper, it maybe could have used just a pinch more of salt.

We both thought that the fries were decent, and the steaks were alright. I don't think I would go back and go out of my way to eat a cheesesteak at Harvey's, but it certainly wasn't the worst that I have had. I might go back and try something else there if I happen to be in the neighborhood.

Harvey's Sandwich Shop

3503 Motor Ave.

Los Angeles, CA 90034

310-558-7070

The Bazaar

Who say's cheesesteaks can't be fancy?

Sometimes, you just have to treat yourself to a really nice meal. And as Maria says, "Why work so hard if I can't eat some expensive ass food?" Maria, Chris and I decided to go the The Bazaar at the SLS Hotel to have their version of a cheesesteak. I have been to The Bazaar once before, and was excited for them to experience it.

When you first walk in, there is a lot to take in. There are a number of different rooms to sit in; one room is designated for desserts only. We were seated in a big room that I had not seen before, and there were chefs right behind our table!

The Bazaar serves tapas, and I always think the best way is to get a bunch of things and share. We had too many things for me to go into great detail about every single one, but know this: every single dish is extraordinary and packed with flavor.

Here are some of the delicious cocktails we enjoyed:

And here are some of the scrumptious dishes we had:

Sweet potato chips with a yogurt tamarind dipping sauce.

Eggplant Tempura with a foam dipping sauce.

Gazpacho made out of tomato, cucumber, sherry vinegar, and topped with little croutons. This is one of my favorite things at The Bazaar. I would go back just for this gazpacho! It is flavorful and refreshing.

Cauliflower "couscous" made out of cauliflower puree with crispy quinoa and pomegranate seeds.

Seared scallops. This was the one thing that we all agreed wasn't worth the price, and we wouldn't order again. There wasn't anything special about this dish, and one of the scallops actually seemed a bit raw.

Salty potatoes with a yummy green dipping sauce.

This is pork sausage with white means and mushrooms. I thought it was very good, but also surprisingly salty. Almost a bit too salty.

Grilled beef hanger steak with piquillo pepper confit. Chris and Maria said this was one of their favorites.

And now for the main course...

Their "Philly cheesesteak" is made out of air bread with Wagyu beef carpaccio on top. I also ordered a "hilly cheesesteak" which has thinly sliced mushrooms instead of beef.

The air bread is hollow, and when you bite into it, out rushes hot, melty cheddar cheese, which gives you a surprising burst of flavor.

The beef was tender and seasoned perfectly, and I have to say, the hilly cheesesteak was just as satisfying, I was really impressed!

Dessert time!! Our waitress escorted us to the dessert room, which is really quite beautiful. There is a whole area where you can walk up and pick out cookies and candies and order desserts to go.

Here is what we had:

Hot chocolate mousse with hazelnuts and pear sorbet.

I honestly can't remember what this is...Chris thinks its basically an expensive twinkie.

Salted caramels.

Chocolate pop rocks.

Chocolate pop rocks to go. I was nice and took them home to my roomie.

We ended up doing some serious damage:

If we decided to go back, I think we would really stick to the things we loved. For me, the gazpacho, for Chris and Maria the steak and pepper. And of course the cheesesteaks! We all agreed we could have done without any dessert, but we enjoyed having the full experience. I do think its hard not to spend a fortune on the first visit. It is easy to get caught up in all of it and keep ordering, but once you know what you really like, its definitely possible to get out of there without going broke. I think everyone should go at least once...and definitely order the cheesesteak!

Many thanks to my buddy Chris for the lovely pictures!

The Bazaar by José Andrés
465 S. La Cienega Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90048
Cross Street: San Vicente Blvd.
310-246-5555