LA County Fair

Last year, my good friend Leigha, my home girl Maria and I went to the LA County Fair. Basically we went to eat fried things. We had never had fried twinkies and oreos and things of that nature, and we were on a mission to try them! I thought we should eat something "real" before all of our junk food. I thought about the cheesesteak, but decided on a plate of fried zucchini. Then between the three of us, we had fried oreos, fried twinkies, fried snickers, and a funnel cake.

This year Maria, our buddy Emerald, and I went, and I knew I had to see if the cheesesteak was any good. As soon as we got there, I went straight for the cheesesteak stand, just where it was last year.

After I ordered, I went to the end of the stand, where a bunch of wrapped cheesesteaks were sitting in a bin on the grill, so I'm not sure how long it had been there.

I unwrapped my sandwich, and was pleased to see that the cheese was melty. But then I realized that there was almost no meat in there. There were onions and green bell pepper, which were actually cooked nicely.

Looks pretty empty, doesn't it?

The roll was so thick, I just can't get over it. Look at all that freakin' bread:

You know, the overall taste was better than I expected. The meat was seasoned ok, right amount of salty, but could have used a bit more pepper. The bread wasn't right...it was a bready Italian roll that seems more appropriate for a sausage or meatball sandwich. A man would have hated this sandwich. So many of my guy friends tell me as long as there is more meat than bread, they are happy. This of course was the complete opposite. I ate what I could, and this was all the leftover bread:

The verdict: Not worth $9, and I was still hungry. Sooo between me and the girls we had pasta, olives, garlic bread, Italian sodas, lemon cake:

and tiramisu:

Then we decided to enjoy some rides before our next round. We started off tame with the carousel, ferris wheel, and haunted mansion.

Each ride seemed to go by so fast, and it is not cheap! We went through a lot of tickets. I think each ride was probably about $5. We then decided our food had digested enough for something more daring. We picked G Force or something like that. Basically a ride that spins you all around and you feel like you're falling face first onto the pavement. And of course this was the longest ride ever:

After that, it was time for more food. Fried food!

I skipped the fried snickers this year, but went with the twinkie and oreos:

You know, they were not as good as last year, and I was a bit disappointed. They were a little soft and not hot enough, I think they need to be right out of the fryer so that they are a bit more crisp on the outside, and gooey on the inside.

We also had to have a funnel cake!

The Shack needs to take notes:

It was scrumptious! We actually did think it was a bit on the soft side, but was our favorite fried dessert that evening.

I wanted to try the fried kool-aid, but couldn't find it. And I wanted to try chocolate covered bacon since last year, and I even walked past the stand, but I forgot about it. So there's always next year...

The fair runs until October 2nd, and I think its worth checking out. Skip the cheesesteak, and fill up on the fried food!

LA County Fair

1101 W. McKinley Ave.

Pomona, CA 91768

Figueroa Philly Cheese Steak

My cool co-worker Ty and I decided to take a lunch break and check out Figueroa Philly Cheese Steak. We pulled into the parking lot, and I thought it looked so cute from the outside. There were some interesting characters eating outside when we walked up, like one guy who's boxers were hanging out of his pants, and his ass was hanging out of his boxers. Fortunately, by the time we were finished ordering, the tables outside had cleared.

As soon as we approached the counter, we were greeted by Mario. He is the one in the middle:

Mario was super informative and friendly. He let us know right away that they only use Amoroso's rolls, and they order their steaks from the Philadelphia Steak Company. I asked him how long they had been open, and he told me 4 months.

I ordered a cheesesteak with fried onions and American cheese. I ordered a side of fries, and Mario offered to mix in some of their sweet potato fries as well so that I could try them. Ty ordered his with provolone, onions and bell peppers, and a side of onion rings. We went outside to sit at one of the little benches, and before we knew it, Mario brought us our piping hot food. He offered us ranch for the onion rings and little cherry peppers, and we gladly accepted both. I love the little cherry peppers, I ate them with my cheesesteaks all the time back home.

I could tell right away by looking at it, that this steak was going to be good. I could see that the cheese was melted all the way through, and the meat was cut to a perfect size. The first bite confirmed it...delicious! My steak had the perfect amount of seasoning, the onions were cooked just how I like 'em, and the meat was cut and cooked perfectly, there were no dry bites. The roll was tasty, and the meat to bread ratio was balanced well.

Ty said that he enjoyed the roll because it was soft and fresh. He also said that the meat was flavorful and the onions and peppers were good. Then he said that he thinks this place is better than Philadelphia Sandwiches on Magnolia. Oh snap! We both agreed the service was great, Mario even came outside to refill Ty's soda.

Danny, the owner, came out to chat with us for a bit. He was born and raised in California, but has many friends back East, so he has learned a great deal about the cheesesteak.

Before we left, Mario made sure to give us each this flyer with 10% off for our next visit!

I will definitely go back to try the chicken cheesesteak, and whenever I'm downtown and craving a regular cheesesteak. It was one of the best that I've had since I've been out here, and again, everyone who worked there was awesome. This place is a really good find, and I hope it does well!

Figueroa Philly Cheese Steak

3844 S. Figueroa St.

Los Angeles, CA 90037

213-748-9073

www.figueroaphilly.com

The Shack

Finding a cheesesteak on a Sunday can be tricky in this town. My buddy Christopher and I decided to check out Papa Jakes in Beverly Hills. We get there, only for it to be closed, even though the sign in the window said "We are now open on Sundays." So then we decide to head over to Bay Cities Italian Deli in Santa Monica. I heard the cheesesteaks there are ginormous. We get there, starving, only to find out that they only have cheesesteaks on Saturdays. At this point, we decided to go to The Shack. I went to The Shack one Sunday for an Eagles game the first year I moved out here. It was pretty intense, and I don't remember the cheesesteak being that good. I do remember there being some cool folks there going wild during the game, and some not so cool folks, but the overall atmosphere was nice.

We get there, and were pretty much the only people in the entire place. The owner is really friendly, and took our order right away. Chris asked him what kind of cheese the steaks came with, and he said "White American, the way it should be." I totally agree! It took a really long time to get our food, I think someone forgot about us, but it wasn't such a huge deal.

We finally got our cheesesteaks, Chris ordered his plain:

and I ordered peppers, onions, and mushrooms:

I really hate to say this, but when I look at this picture I think of my mom saying, "That looks like a dog's breakfast." Trust me though, its better than it looks.

Chris thought the meat and the roll were good, but all of the cheese was on one side. With my steak, the cheese all seemed to be on the bottom, but at least it was melted. We both agreed that if the cheese had been blended throughout, it would have been a much better sandwich. I thought the meat was seasoned well, although I wish it was chopped into smaller pieces, and the veggies were cooked nicely. Not the best I've ever had, but enjoyable. Chris said that next time he will ask for the cheese to be melted throughout.

The fries were good, Chris enjoyed them a lot.

The staff was really cool and friendly. When the owner asked us if we wanted anything else, we said no, that we were full. Then he asked if we wanted a funnel cake. I can't turn down a funnel cake.

This really nice guy brought us the funnel cake and said "Just like at the state fair." Sure, if the state fair serves bricks with powdered sugar on top. Seriously, it was that hard, I actually don't know how its even possible to get a funnel cake to be that solid. It was hard as a rock, and it needed more powdered sugar. It was so hard that it was difficult to break off a piece. Chris hated it after the first bite, but kept eating it because he felt bad. He asked me repeatedly to put the funnel cake in my purse, or get a to go box and pretend that we would finish it later. Everyone seemed so excited to give us a funnel cake, that he felt a little guilty not eating it. I thought we could just say that we were full and they wouldn't think anything of it, but Chris said he wanted to make a good impression.

Overall, the food is alright, the staff is cool, and the place has a cozy feel to it. I feel bad writing anything negative about it, because I appreciate that the owner started a place like this. I just think they could use a little bit of help in the kitchen, that's all. We decided that we would definitely go back this fall for an Eagles game and a chicken cheesesteak. Maybe I can drag my good friend Leigha with us...when the Eagles play the Cowboys!

The Shack

2518 Wilshire Blvd.

Santa Monica, CA 90403

310-449-1171

www.shacksm.com

RIP Joey Vento

I need to take time out for a special blog post about Joey Vento, who passed away today. Vento founded Geno's Steaks in 1966 at 9th and Passyunk in South Philly, basically with no more than $6 in his pocket. He was a hardworking man who certainly wasn't afraid to speak his mind. Love him or hate him, he did a lot for the cheesesteak, and for South Philly.

In college, I lived within walking distance to Geno's and Pat's, and while I certainly don't think they are the best steaks in the city, every now and then "one wiz wit" really hit the spot. Here's hoping that Joey is at peace, and that he is eating all his favorite things with the big guy in the sky!

If any of my Los Angeles readers find themselves in Philly, and you want to check out Geno's, the info is below, and of course rival Pat's King of Steaks is right across the street!

Geno's Steaks

1219 South 9th St.

Philadelphia, PA 19147

215-389-0659

www.genosteaks.com

Big Mike's Philly Steaks & Subs

So my good friend Leigha decided to move far away from me, all the way to El Segundo. When she told me, she softened the blow by letting me know there was a cheesesteak place right around the corner. What can I say, she knows me well. Last weekend I went for a visit, after Leigha lured me over with promises of cheesesteaks and bead shopping. I was pretty pissed on the drive over with traffic and all, but once I got there, I completely fell in love with the neighborhood.

Once I arrived, I was pleased to learn that Leigha lives within walking distance to Big Mike's. We strolled over there, and as soon as we walked in the place, I knew I would like it. The atmosphere was really cool and casual. Very homey. And there were Tastykakes on the front counter.

Even though it was super casual, it was very clean and organized inside. They keep a roll of paper towels on each table, which is so convenient and considerate! And look at this cute little station:

We both got a regular cheesesteak with American cheese, mine with onions. I am happy to report that their American cheese is white, just the way it should be. We made them combos, with fries and a drink, and the prices were very reasonable!

These cheesesteaks are pretty yummy! The meat itself was seasoned perfectly, just the right amount of salt and pepper. Leigha agreed, and was happy that she didn't need to add salt. It was perfectly cheesey all throughout the sandwich, so you got some in every bite. I didn't know what to make of the roll at first. It was a little tough and waxy on the outside, but it actually had a nice flavor to it, so in the end I didn't mind so much.

The fries are amazing, and really fresh tasting. Every single fry was super crispy. These may be my favorite fries out of all of the places I have visited so far!

We both left full and happy, and we took a nice walk around Main Street. There are a lot of cool little shops around, and yes there was bead shopping.

I definitely can't wait to go back and try a chicken cheesesteak and a hoagie. I guess with my good friend Leigha living so close by, I will be chowin' down at Big Mike's pretty often.

Big Mike's Philly Steaks & Subs

507 Main Street

El Segundo, CA 90245

310-726-9638

South Philly Experience

Cheesesteaks on wheels!

So I finally got to go to the cheesesteak truck, South Philly Experience. It saddens me to say that my good friend Leigha couldn't escape her office for lunch, so I met up with my cool coworker Ty and Ian M.

I have heard quite a lot about this food truck, and I was very excited to try it. I already had my lunch planned out in my head: cheesesteak with fried onions, Hank's Black Cherry Soda, Herr's chips, and possibly a Tastykake. So I was very disappointed when the guy taking my order told me that they were out of Hank's sodas, and had been for quite some time. Ugh, whatever. So I ordered my cheesesteak with onions and American cheese, and I decided to be adventurous and have the Herr's creamy dill pickle chips, and Ty went with the always yummy cheddar and sour cream.

The cheesesteak was ok.

There was a decent amount of cheese on the steak, and the meat was chopped to a good size. I was having trouble telling how the steak was seasoned, because overall there was a funny aftertaste. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, so I broke it down, and then I realized that it was the onions. They were really overpowering and had a sweetness to them that I didn't particularly enjoy. They also got pretty mushy, and I can't stand that. When I made cheesesteaks back home, I always grilled the onions to a nice golden brown, but they still had a bit of a crunch to them.

I don't know if it always tastes like that, or if it was a fluke thing, but if I ever wind up at the truck again, I'll play it safe and get no onions. Ty and Ian thought the bread was chewy, I agreed that it didn't taste really fresh. I know they use Amoroso's, so maybe it was frozen for too long or something. Overall, Ty said his cheesesteak was dry and disappointing. Ian also got fries, and they were thin shoestring fries. He was bummed out that they were a bit soggy, but he liked that there was pepper on them.

For dessert, Ian went with the classic Butterscotch Krimpet:

I decided to try the Shave Ice truck since it was hotter than hell outside.

There were all kinds of crazy combinations and flavors, but I went simple and got a cherry ice.

I have always said that water ice would be the next big thing out here...the next "Pinkberry" craze. I appreciate what they are trying to do here with the Shave Ice truck, but its just not the same. The ice is so thin it almost has a powder consistency, and I like mine to be crunchable. The cherry flavoring also had an odd aftertaste, and like a snowcone, there were some bland bites with no flavor. This is why water ice is better, the flavoring is mixed all throughout. It isn't ice with syrup poured on top. But, on a hot day, shaved ice is better than no ice. And the guys in the truck were really very sweet and they were handing out cute little stickers which I liked.

I would go to South Philly Experience again if I happened to be in the right place at the right time. It wasn't the best I've ever had, and I think they're a bit pricey, but its a fun idea, and the fact that they have Herr's chips scores major points with me. Now they need to restock the Hank's sodas!

South Philly Experience

http://southphillyexperience.com