Calbi Taco Truck

monks: Okay...so It's now December 2010! It's hard to remember, but I'm determined to finish this blog by next year! The details will be far less, but better than nothing right? So this next spot was a fluke! We had just done our 2 ice cream hit ups, which both came after our burgers...and we decided to head home from Ice Pan...when we realized it was just down the street from Pink's Hot Dogs...which as you may know has been featured on Throwndown, Travel Channel, etc. etc. So we drive by to see a massive line...so we keep driving, only to find this Calbi truck parked outside of a grocery store! So like pigs...we pull over...this parking lot was CRAZY FULL! So mitch circled while Liezl and I grabbed these few items... Above is a shrimp and a spicy pork taco! With cheese and veggies...while the flavors were good, it was all kinda mushed together with the cheese and didn't hold up much integrity. Below was the same case. That is a nast shot of food in my lap, but hey, we ate it in the car during our crappy commute back home. This was mostly just a plain cheese quesedilla...but what's special about it, is that it's a Kim Chee Quesedilla! So hey, it was something different! The spicy, tasty Kim Chee was actually a nice touch! It was pretty yummy, but nothing I would run out of the car for again.

It was more for "WOW" effect as we've seen the new wave of food trucks, esepcially Korean Beef Taco Food trucks start to flourish! This is a chain, but supposedly the real deal is the Kogi Truck in LA. We DID try and track it down! We looked it up and while it does occasional pass by the areas we were in, the times and locations didn't match up with our busy schedule! Overall, a nice try, but probably wouldn't go for it again...

ICEPAN West Hollywood

So ICE PAN would have to be, without a doubt one of the top 5 places we visited...a must go back to spot! Thanks to Lizoes friend Pam who suggested the place, we headed over after our double burger run and ice-cream stop...This was in the West Hollywood area in a cute little outdoor strip mall.That's my coffee ice cream with OREO cookie bits creation! I think I picked soy for my 'milk choice'
So if I remember correctly-the way it works is-you pick a flavor for your ice-cream, then you pick what kind of milk you want them to use (whole, non-fat, soy, etc.), then you can pick whatever toppings you-fruit, candy, cookies, syrup, the list goes on and on...and I think that's basically it...

So like I mentioned we got coffee and the second was green tea, I think we had this with non-fat milk and I kinda think we got mochi in it but I forget...

They put the powdery flavoring into a tube with the milk then pour it out on to those super cold 'ice pan' things...

Then they use their muscles, wrists and superhuman skills to scrape, spank and smoosh around the stuff until it becomes ice-cream! Look how flat it starts out...

Suddenly it becomes this cute little ball! This place was tiny but had a nice outdoor seating...the place was all decked out in red and and stainless steel...It had that 'club feel,' kinda like Em and Eman's wedding! My favorite part was the club lighting! There were all these white panels that would change colors from red to blue to purple and so on...super cool! I love ICE PAN!!! All the thumbs up! Even the big, fat toe ones!!!

Diddy Riese Westwood LA

monks: Mmmm cookies and ice-cream =) who could resist?! Not us of course...after burger spot #2 we were headed to Ice Pan for ice-cream...Of course we were stuck in tons of LA traffic...on the way Mitch and noticed we were right by Diddy Riese! We've been here before a bunch of times but Lizoe hadn't...so we had a valid excuse for stopping even though we were already headed for some ice-cream!

You're looking at me take a bite out of crime-complete with cop aviators on...I bought a brownie and a cookie sandwich filled with rocky road ice-cream and with a chocolate chip walnut cookie and a chocolate chocolate chip cookie for the 'bread.' Deeeeelicious! I'd typically buy a cheap hot dog there too but c'mon now. I forget what Lizoe got....something with vanilla I think...mind you all these items are super cheap! The stop was well worth it!

Father's Office in Santa Monica

Father's Office! Burger Spot #2!
monks: so i've tried adding my notes her twice and both times the blog messed up...I can't paste in what I wrote so I would have to re-type my findings yet again! And it's long...this may have to
wait then...
Father's Office was pretty damn delicious! Burgers! My favorite! Beer on tap! Even better! So we played it safe- well - kinda...and ordered just one burger, one order of sweet potato fries with garlic aioli, but still three beers! (soon to be followed by two ervings of ice-cream in the next hour)
So the fries were delicious and crispy! Nice and hot with a noisy crunch! Perfectly seasoned only to be upstaged by the super tasty garlic aioli! Nice consistency, not too creamy and lots of garlic flavor to beat out Umami's! I'm also very particular with my aioli temperature...too hot and it tastes like butter or mayo...too cold and it just tastes like the oil is stiffening...But Father's was just right! Our three beers were perfect with the meal-I think I had the Stone Calico Amber Ale...but I'm not quite sure.

So on to the burger...the meat of this blog! So component wise: this burger was chosen on 'The Best Thing I Ever Ate-BACON!!!! This burger had a caramelized onion, applewood smoked bacon compote! This was sooooooo flavorful! If I haven't mentioned it before...I don't like mixing sweet with my savory, so while this was tasty, I'd rather just have some salty bacon on my burger. Another thing to know about my burger preferences- I love raw onion! Lots of it! A whole layer of it! Therefore, I'll always pick a slice of raw onion over grilled ones! This burger also had a cool, fresh, spicy arugula and Gruyere Maytag Blue Cheese...This tasty, crumbly cheese was also yummy, but honestly, aside from brie and humboldt fog...I always prefer a firm, salty cheese to a soft, sweet, creamy one...so I would have to choose Umami's salty parmesan disk to this yummy Maytag Blue.
Now the MEAT was AMAZING and either on par with Umami's or better...I'd have to try them side-by-side! This is the creation of yet another Asian Burger Chef like Umami(we know our meat! ) I'm pretty sure it was Kobe beef. The patty was plump, juicy and straight up delicious!!! This, paired with a crispy, yet soft, crusty, fresh baked roll made it all come together...It's a close battle, but by a few punches I think Umami won the best 'gourmet' burger fight! It might be the best gourmet burger I've ever had! And I've had quite a few! Regardless, Father's Office got a big ol' thumb's up in my book!!!