I’m A Cheating SOB…
…but only on my DIET! After dinner at Tranquility Base on April 12th, I have had a craving for greasy food (not that Tranquility Base has just greasy food, but I enjoyed their mini-burgers and fries the most). I fought it for awhile, but I rationalized that I could eat bad for a week and then hit diet hard again until Memorial Day, so I’ve been hitting the local fast food joints fairly hard- here’s a review of my favorite as of now:
Hoagies & Wings: after the post by Stephen Friday on Angelenic about this place, I had to try it. I walk by it probably twice a day, but I hate chicken wings. Stephen mentioned that they have burgers, than a comment by Scott Mercer pushed me over the edge- I’ve had 4 Ultimate Steak Hoagies, 1 Cheeseburger, and 1 fries in the past week. They are all great (and greasy!)- grilled onions are part of the key to their sandwiches and burgers. Plus the place is entertaining in a weird way- a mix of government workers from nearby Reagan Building and the true “bums” that hang out in front of the neighboring McDonalds. Watching the people is way better than watching the nice plasma TV at Hoagies and Wings.
Blue Cube: Their “big” breakfast burrito is still my favorite “bad” breakfast food. I didn’t go here for 2 months, then when I returned the owner still remembered my name and went out of her way to take care of me. i just hope they keep busy, as most of the customers seem to be construction workers from new LAPD HQ and they are slowly decreasing in numbers.
Pete’s Cafe: One of the few breakfast places open in my neighborhood on Sunday. I was craving eggs and potatos, but not a mess in the kitchen, so I went there Sunday. The food is very average, but consistantly average :-) I did run into longtime downtown residents Jim, Celia, and of course Wonton, fellow bloggers (yes, Wonton too) so that is a good sign that the restaurant is ok. Two other tables of folks were with their dogs, and from the Higgins, so that was another good sign. I just wish Isis would behave here as I’d probably come more often, but she is persona non-grata after this incident.
Pastagina: I’ve had a craving for pasta too, and I like Pastagina ‘to go” - I get 2 orders of their pasta, as it is great microwaved (that is if I don’t eat all 2 servings at once). I wish they would add a whole wheat or spinach pasta option though. I hope they stay in business, but they are pretty dead when Isis and I walk by….
So a few more days of cheating- I may even go down to The Edison for a Boiler Maker with Tesla fries and a mojito before I stop my cheating ways and get back to serious dieting…